


Magnetic Today

by XQR



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alien Biology, M/M, birushin, biruwhis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-19 11:16:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14872754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XQR/pseuds/XQR
Summary: Beerus and Shin aren't a shining example of the godly pair that look after the universe, and they want to change that. But first Beerus messes it up, and then he decides he wants his new friend to come with benefits. Not that he can say this to someone he realises he now cares way too much for! Whis is a great wing-man and helps Beerus in his endeavour.





	1. A Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> How did I write a 45+k fic of this pair? Well you see, a bit of fluff, fluff, fluff, add a little smut, and suddenly it was long. If you crave Beerus and Shin talking to each other you’re in for a good time. I just want them to interact more in the series. Pls.

Beerus placed a hand on Whis’s back and the pair disappeared from Earth in a flash.

 “My, my, that was quite exciting. I must say, I’m glad you didn’t destroy it in the end. I feel there’s a lot more fine cuisine hiding on that planet.”

 “Precisely. I could see you eating away without me. I was a little jealous.”

 “Well, I’ve bought some home.” Whis held up a neatly packaged box.

 “Good. Still, I want it freshly served to me some time. But speaking of home, I don’t want to go there yet. Take me to the world of the kais.”

 “Oh? What takes you there?”

 “That bastard who ate all the pudding. He was called Buu, wasn’t he?”

 “That’s correct.”

 “The same Buu who went on a rampage, essentially doing my job while I was taking a nap, and then almost killed me via life-link?”

 “Now you mention it, I guess so. He seems to have changed in more ways than one.”

 “Well, I’m going to have that little kai explain exactly what’s gone on.”

 “I could –“

 “Now, now, Whis, don’t take away my reason to visit so quickly.”

Whis sighed. “You’re right. I’m sure you’d visit him anyway, even if I told you.”

 “I don’t like the sound of that. How long until we get there?”

 “42 minutes.”

 “Urgh. What a drag.”

The kais knew that he was coming. They stood there awkwardly awaiting his arrival. Beerus stepped out from behind Whis and then stopped in his tracks, clearly confused.

 “Hey, Whis, how long _has_ it been since we were last here?”

 “The last coordination meeting was 626 years ago.”

Beerus looked back at the two kais, then he stepped forward, deciding to roll with it. “Shin! It’s been too long!” He approached the short kai who seemed to have aged faster than ever.

The old kai stared back at him with a look of disappointment. “I don’t know why I ever expected _you_ to remember me. Do I look like Shin to you?”

 “White hair, purple skin, blue clothes. Yes?”

Old Kai looked to the taller kai. “He’s still an asshole after all these years, see?”

Beerus took offence. “ _Who?_ ”

 “You. First you lock me in a sword. Then you come here and forget my face, and think I’m a young whippersnapper who barely has a grasp on his duties.”

 “Hey!” Both Beerus and Kibito Kai yelled.

Beerus looked over at the taller kai. “Shin?” Now he looked closer he could see that same youthful face, but on a much larger body, and a flowing mane.

 “Actually, Kibito Kai. I fused with my attendant.”

Beerus looked back at Whis, imagining what it would be like, and wondering _why_ Shin would do it. “I don’t like it.” He didn’t like that he now had to look up slightly to meet the kai’s eyes. “Anyway, I came here to ask about that pink bastard.”

Kibito Kai was taken aback, thoughts immediately going to Kibito.

 “Buu,” Whis clarified.

 “Oh, _him_ ,” Kibito Kai said with relief, glad he wasn’t in the firing line. Then a wave of anguish washed over him as he realised he might have to own up to certain recent events.

 “I met him today. For the first time, finally. What an _arse_.”

 “I suppose that’s one way to describe him.” For once it seemed they were both on the same wavelength.

 “He wouldn’t let me have even a single pot of pudding. And there he was with a whole plate! We had a little scuffle, but you know, it didn’t go as expected. I mean – I won, but it was child’s play. He really didn’t live up to the legends. But then it occurred to me – why was this pink blob out of his cage and doing just fine? Sitting there eating pudding without a care in the world? I thought of all people, you would know.”

 “He’s turned over a new leaf, but I suppose he still has some selfish aspects left.”

Beerus turned to Old Kai. “Hey, get us some tea while I hear this story about ‘turning over a new leaf.’”

Old Kai huffed. “You never should have fused. Now _I’m_ the attendant? What a joke.”

Kibito Kai created a table for them to sit at while he regaled the tale of Buu’s release and subsequent beating.

 “I should have known Son Goku would be involved,” Beerus said with a smirk. “He’s quite an interesting fellow.”

 “Yes, and I would appreciate it if you would be more careful when fighting him. I’m quite partial to Earth.”

 “Mmm, I think I’m developing feelings for it too. But _I’m_ not the one who needs a warning. _You_ need to be more careful. It seems I’ve ended up with the idiot kai.”

 “Well, it’s not like you were awake to help us out.”

Beerus had no reply. Would he really have got up if Whis had delivered this information? Maybe, but then he would have destroyed the very thing he was waiting for in the first place: the super saiyan god.

 “Besides, even if I had died, you would have lived via the Old Kai, right?”

 “No, you fool. I terminated that link long ago. I’d rather take my chances on you than have that old fart expire on me.”

 “I’m right here, you know. Not that I would want to be linked with _you_ again either. I’m quite enjoying being retired and care-free.”

 “Although…” Beerus said, “I don’t think I’d object to going back to the old days of having 5 of you around. That certainly was some nice life insurance.”

 “And if you died, all 5 of us would too? That seems a bit unfair.”

Beerus shrugged. “I guess.” He stood up. “Thanks for the tea. Don’t get into any more trouble or I’ll be back to whoop your ass. Whis! Let’s go! I hope you haven’t been scoffing that sushi behind my back.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “Oh! Supreme Kai’s here too!” Goku skipped off to say hi to the kai he hadn’t seen in quite some time.

Beerus looked round and couldn’t help but curl his lip when he saw Shin accompanied by Kibito and the Old Kai. He strode over and leaned an arm on top of Shin’s head. “Good to see you back to normal.”

Shin pouted and tried to remove the arm messing up his hair. “Can you stop?”

Goku stood there laughing at the scene. “Yeah, how did you unfuse?”

 “With the Namekian dragon balls, but I’m wondering if that was a bad decision. Perhaps I should give Kibito a potara again.”

 “No, no, this is good. You’re perfect just like this.” Beerus patted his head.

Shin folded his arms and looked away. “Anyway, good luck, Goku, I know our universe can win this.”

 “Thanks! I won’t disappoint you.”

 “I know you won’t.” Shin smiled before taking his leave with Kibito.

 “Jeez, you really are chummy with everyone, aren’t you?” Beerus noted.

 “There’s no reason not to be friends with the Supreme Kai. He’s the one looking after us.”

Beerus wanted to say he did too, but that was a bit unbecoming of a destroyer to say.

 “You guys are buddies too, right?”

 “Err, I guess you could say that.” He wasn’t going to explain their link to Goku, but he wasn’t going to deny it either. The kai was a lot more tolerable than some of the previous ones had been, mainly because he didn’t get in Beerus’s way. “I think we’re going to start soon, so let’s go and look menacing in our seats.”

 

**ooo**

 

They sat in the field of flowers on the destroyer’s planet, Beerus with a jug of beer, Shin with some tea.

 “I can’t believe I had to sit next to the old fart for the whole tournament.”

 “It wasn’t even an hour. Surely it wasn’t that bad?”

 “I wanted to sit next to you. People might have thought that you _weren’t_ my kai. Especially as the younger one, they might have thought you an apprentice or something.”

 “I didn’t realise you cared so much.”

Beerus took another swig of his drink. “Of course I care! People have to know I’m not an idiot linked to an ancient thing like that.”

 “Old Kai is very helpful. I like having him around.”

 “Well I don’t! He’s all high and mighty, acting like he knows everything. You know, the reason I sealed him in that sword was because he ran his mouth too much.” Whether that was the reason, he couldn’t remember, but he certainly couldn’t remember the old man apologising for whatever he’d done to piss him off.

 “You don’t have to live with him, so it shouldn’t matter. But anyway, we’re sitting together now, so are you happy?”

Beerus slid a hand around the kai’s waist and pulled him closer. “Yeah. I’m glad we’re alive. And Champa’s alive. Everyone’s alive. Even some assholes I didn’t like much.”

Shin leaned into Beerus. “Me too.”

 “Eh? You got a few assholes you hate too? Didn’t know you had it in you.”

 “That kai from Universe 11… His name was Khai. I don’t like him.”

 “ _Oh?_ Hating on one of your own? This is unexpected.”

Shin looked up at Beerus. “He’s…he’s mean! Very disrespectful. I tried to say hello to him and he blanked me! And then later on he said I was blind! Hey! What are you smiling at?”

 “You’re cute when you’re angry. I don’t see it often, especially when I’m _not_ the cause of it.”

Shin looked away. “And Roh of Universe 9. I don’t really like him either.”

 “Oh yeah, I thought he was a bit dodgy for a Supreme Kai. Maybe we can do some universe-jumping and get rid of these people.”

 “No. I won’t allow you to go killing other kais. If Grand Zeno found out we could be in real trouble.”

Beerus sighed. “You’re always so damn level-headed. Maybe we could go and rough ‘em up a bit?”

 “Don’t you think we did enough when we erased them briefly?”

 “Eh, Universe 11 was only gone for a few minutes. They could do with a bit more.”

 “I’m not having Jiren and Toppo come after you and wreck everything because we wanted Khai to have a good beating. I’d rather I never have to meet him again full-stop. I quite like sticking to my own universe.”

Beerus chuckled. “You said ‘we.’ I like that. You know, sometimes I’m sad I missed your fight with Buu, just to watch. I’d like to see you be a bit more violent.”

 “I’m glad you didn’t see it. It wasn’t a good display.”

 “I bet it was great. Angry expression, roughed up hair and clothes, giving it your all. I think I’m all for a recreation of the scene.”

Shin frowned. “No thank you. I don’t think I _want_ to know if Buu is still more powerful than me.”

 “I wasn’t talking about getting _him_ involved. That pink oaf probably wouldn’t get it anyway. _I_ was going to play his part.”

Shin pulled away from Beerus, frantically waving his hands in denial of the idea. “I’m quite good, thank you. I certainly _don’t_ want to spar with you.”

 “Oh, _come on_. It’ll be a bit of fun. When was the last time I got to see anything you can do in combat? Just a little bit. A minute or two. It’s not like I’d kill you.”

 “No, but you could still do some serious damage.”

 “ _Shin_. I’m not going to do anything serious. I wouldn’t dare, just in case it was too much. Look, I’ll even call Whis over to watch if you want. Well, actually, he’ll probably turn up anyway when he notices.”

 “I thought you were happy just sitting together…” Shin was fast running out of ways to dissuade Beerus. The idea of simply teleporting away occurred to him, but he didn’t want to be so rude and incur any kind of wrath. _He_ could be sealed in a sword next.

Beerus got up, pulling the kai with him. "Come, maybe I can teach you something."

There was no getting out of this, so Shin adopted a defensive stance and faced Beerus. Slowly Beerus approached, making Shin even more apprehensive. He threw a couple of easy-to-block punches, and Shin did as expected. Still, Beerus's idea of soft was not the same as Shin's, but the Kai resisted the urge to rub his forearms. Now Beerus threw a kick. This time Shin chose to move out of the way completely; he knew Beerus kicked harder than he punched. 

The warm-up was over now, Beerus decided. He launched forward and began to attack in his more usual manner, trying to gauge how far he could push Shin. Unfortunately Shin wasn't managing to block everything even at this speed. The next kick he threw connected with Shin's waist and sent the kai hurling to the ground.

 "Too tough for you?" Beerus asked.

 "Just a little."

 "Then you should train more. This is quite pitiful. Whis will train you - right, Whis?"

The angel was standing off to the side, not quite hidden behind a bush. "If that's what you desire."

 "Am I being too harsh?"

Whis hummed. "Perhaps you should try something with ki. Hand-to-hand combat might not be the Supreme Kai's forte."

Beerus materialised a ball of destructive energy. "Good plan. Don't look so worried, Shin. I wouldn't really use this against you - just in case." The purple ball disappeared, replaced by a nicer looking blue one.

Shin was fighting better now he was at a distance and able to actually match some of Beerus's attacks. Still, some were too powerful and cut through his own blasts, some flying close enough to clip his arm or leg.

 “I think that’s enough!” Shin yelled over the sounds of the blasts wrecking their surroundings.

Beerus didn’t hear him, continuing to open fire.

 “Beerus! Stop!” He tried to dodge the blasts coming his way, but Beerus was really making him work for it, having covered quite a wide area. In the end he decided to turn his back and take the force of a few so he could focus on using instant transmission to appear behind Beerus. “I said –“

Beerus reacted instantly, kicking the kai away before he could finish. Shin ended up dangling from a tree, his robe having acquired a hole in the process.

 “You look quite funny up there,” Beerus said.

 “Maybe instead of laughing, you could help me out?”

Beerus grabbed a hand and gave a hard downwards tug, ripping through the rest of the fabric. Shin hit the ground with a thud. He stood up and brushed himself down, looking at all the places Beerus had singed his clothes.

 “I’ve had quite enough for today.”

 “We’ve barely begun! I haven’t even pointed out how you could improve.”

Shin pulled a leaf from his hair. “I think you should have pointed that out before I got in this state. Besides, this is what you wanted, right?”

Beerus smirked. “Yes, it is. That angry pout is just perfect too. It’s just so _attractive_. Oh, _oooh_. Yes, this is good. Tell me how I’m making you seethe…”

 “Stop this.”

Beerus pushed him playfully, but it made Shin almost trip. “Make me.”

 “What in Grand Zeno’s name is _wrong_ with you?!” Shin raised his voice and Beerus’s smirk grew wider. “We were having a nice time and you’ve ruined it! Stop smirking! You’re…you’re such an asshole sometimes, you know!” Shin stood there breathing heavily, trying to get a hold of himself and his anger.

 “God, please, insult me more.”

Shin stared at him. “No.”

In an instant Shin found himself pinned to the tree he had recently fallen out of. “Why not? Tell me how much you fucking despise me. And please, use the foulest language you know.”

Now there was fear in his eyes. He had to resort to this… “WHIS!”

The angel was there without delay. “You called?”

Now what? He hadn’t really planned this far. Did he ask Whis to help him? To directly force Beerus to let go? Would Whis take his side? “Help me…” he asked pathetically.

Whis looked down at the pair. “My lord, I think the Supreme Kai would like to be let go of.”

 “No, he has to insult me first.”

Shin looked up pleadingly at Whis. “Why is he doing this?”

 “I think Lord Beerus is having a bit of fun, best to play along when he’s a little tipsy.”

 “Y-you lightweight! You didn’t even finish the second pint!”

Beerus let lose a laugh. “Is that all you’ve got?! Where’s all that anger you had a minute ago? Show me that again. And how dare you call Whis over here. I think I’ll rough you up a bit more for that.”

 “You said I could call on him if needed. And I need him to get me out of your clutches, but he’s useless!”

Beerus cocked a brow and looked up at the angel. “Well, well, doesn’t that hurt, Whis? I don’t think I can accept an indirect insult like that to make me let him go though.”

 “I’m not offended. I _could_ pry him from your hands, but I serve you first and him second. Just don’t break your toy.”

 “ _Toy?!_ Is that all I am? You’re a monster!”

 “Hmm, he is quite stressed, my lord. Perhaps you should reconsider.”

Beerus ran a hand through Shin’s hair and down his face. “You’re right. He’s very cute like this though. But maybe that’s too much to ask.”

Shin tried to break out of the grip Beerus had him in. “Stop talking like I’m not here!”

Beerus released him from the tree, and pulled him into an embrace. “Sorry for being so rough, but it was thoroughly pleasing to watch.”

Shin squirmed in Beerus’s arms. “I don’t enjoy being wound up, and certainly _not_ for your pleasure. I’d quite like to leave now.”

 “Don’t be like that,” Beerus whispered into his ear. “Let me make it up to you. We’ll have cake and tea, and sit in the flowers again.”

 “I don’t feel like it. I want to go home and clean myself up.”

 “I’ll wait. We have quite a wonderful bath here. And Whis can see to some new clothes.”

 “ _No_. I want to show Kibito and Old Kai exactly what you’ve put me through today.” Finally Shin broke free and without a second glance, disappeared.

 “Fuck.” Beerus sat down where he was and pounded the ground with his fists. “Fuck fuck fuck. I went too far.”

 “I think that was evident when I was called over,” Whis said.

 “Yeah, I should have stopped, but it was so _good_. He’s such a fucking cutie, you know?”

 “Yes, you have mentioned that a few times.”

 “Okay, but when he’s mad he’s still cute, but…kinda hot? Ah, jeez, Whis, I think… No, no, I shouldn’t…”

This time it was Whis’s turn to smirk. “Shouldn’t what, my lord?”

Beerus put his head in his hands. “Shut up. I didn’t say anything. I mean, he _wouldn’t_ , especially if I wound him up like that.”

 “I agree. If he wouldn’t even share a drink with you after today, he certainly wouldn’t entertain anything _more_.”

 “Roleplay as Shin for me so I can figure this out.”

Whis raised his eyebrows. “No. I don’t think I can do a good enough job. Better to think it through and try it on the actual thing. It’s not like you have to do it soon.”

Beerus slinked over to his half-finished beer. “Fine. I’ll be in my room. Sulking.”

Whis sighed. “Always so dramatic.”


	2. Reconciliation

 “Sir, have you noticed?” Kibito asked.

 “Yes,” Shin said stiffly, but he continued to water the flowers in front of his home. “Let him come.”

Beerus wasn’t stalling, rather he was going through the plan one more time. He wanted to play it cool, but he knew he probably had to apologise too. It all started with not turning up in his usual rude fashion – not that he thought it rude, but he knew the kai didn’t appreciate him showing up unannounced. Slowly he walked through the beautiful surroundings of the kais’ world, thinking it through, imagining the many ways Shin might respond to his words.

 “Left, my lord.”

 “Hm?”

 “You’re going the wrong way.”

 “Oh, right. The trees all look the same to me.”

When the surprisingly small abode came into view, Beerus looked up and could see a small purple figure waiting outside. Shin stood there, arms folded, watching Beerus approach.

_Oh shit, he’s still mad._

 “Get off my world.”

Beerus continued walking towards him, as if he hadn’t heard.

 “Beerus. Get off my world.” This time he said it with more warning.

 “Shin, come on, let’s talk.”

 “No. I don’t want to see you until I have to. Leave this world and don’t come back until the next coordination meeting.”

 “Shin, please.” He reached out a hand, but it was slapped away.

 “Do I need to repeat myself?”

 “I just want to apolo-“

 “How much more plainly do I have to say it? Do I have to stoop to your level? _Fuck off._ ” Shin immediately regretted his word choice when he saw Beerus smirk.

 “Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

 “What?! No. I said don’t come back!”

 “I’ll come back every day just to hear you tell me to fuck off.”

Shin furrowed his brows. Had he made a grave mistake?

 “Come on, Whis. Looks like I’m not wanted.” He placed his hand on Whis’s back and off they went.

 “Do you really intend to go back tomorrow?”

 “Of course. I wouldn’t lie. I’ll go back every day until he accepts my apology.”

 “Uh-huh, and you expect me to ferry you to-and-fro every day?”

 “It’s more boring for me, you know.”

 “ _Of course_ it is. Especially when you nap the whole way.”

Beerus yawned as if on command. “Say, let’s take a trip to Earth. I’ll pick something up to sweeten him tomorrow.”

 

The next day he was met with the same. It took a lot more for Shin to tell him to fuck off today, as if he was trying not to use that exact phrasing. But eventually, he gave in, and Beerus left as promised.

 “Will you not hear him out?” Kibito asked.

 “No, he won’t learn a thing if I don’t punish him like this.” Shin noticed the thing in Kibito’s hands. “What in this universe is that?”

 “A gift from Beerus – Whis gave it to me. He said it was a pineapple from Earth.”

Shin took it and looked it over. “Such a strange texture. Not easy to handle, much like Beerus. Perhaps he gave me this to remind me of him. Still, I won’t waste it. Fetch a knife and we’ll see what kind of gift this really is.”

They munched the fruit in silence, each pondering the meaning of this choice. “It’s very sweet and delicious. It’s exactly the kind of fruit Beerus would enjoy. A surprising contrast to its exterior, but I doubt that I would find the same inside the destroyer.”

 “Maybe you are looking too deeply into this,” Kibito suggested. “Perhaps this is just part of his apology and he put some thought into bringing something you would enjoy.”

It was a very plausible idea. “I never believed Beerus to be that thoughtful. I would say Whis steered him in this direction.”

 “You could ask him tomorrow.”

 “I’m not talking to him just because he gave me a fruit.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “I can’t believe he didn’t even say thanks!” Beerus huffed as they left the Sacred World of the Kais once more. “You did give it to his attendant, right?”

 “Of course. I even asked today to check. Kibito said it was very enjoyable.”

 “He’s becoming a right little shit in his old age.”

Whis laughed. “My, my, sounds like someone else I know. But, my lord, maybe you should give him a little more time. A few years might do it.”

 “No, I like him like this. He’s much more fun. I’m not going to wait for his anger to dissipate and we go back to the polite, pushover Shin.”

 “Well, this angrier version doesn’t seem to have time for you.”

 “Mmm, makes him quite irresistible. I can’t stay away.”

Whis sighed. “You are a strange one.”

 “Say, Whis, would you talk to him for me? I know he likes you a bit more than me.”

 “I can try, but remember that I didn’t help him out last week. He may still hold a grudge for that.”

Beerus waved the comment away. “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure he’ll understand. Besides, you’re better with words. Maybe you can talk to um…Kibito?”

 “I can try.”

 

When Whis appeared the next day, Shin narrowed his eyes before circling the angel, trying to find out where Beerus was hiding.

 “He’s not here,” Whis said.

Shin seemed to relax a little at that. “Why are you here then?”

 “Unfortunately it seems that I must journey here every day to bother you, be it with or without Lord Beerus. He has sent me to ask you to consider listening to his apology.”

 “No.”

 “I feared you would say that.”

 “He needs to learn that he can’t have everything his way all the time.”

Whis nodded. “A lesson I have a hard time teaching. Truly, I do want to support you in this, but it is taxing having to chauffeur him around and listen to his opinions on the matter day in and day out.”

 “I won’t give in just because you’ve asked. It’s not like you were much help.”

 “I did consider intervening, but it wasn’t essential. You’re not a complete pushover in the ring, but I must say you are quite easily hurt in more ways than one. I put Goku and Vegeta through that kind of thing as a warm-up.”

 “Yes, and the saiyans are nutcases with completely different ideas of fun. They fit in perfectly with Beerus. I didn’t visit that day to exert more energy than it takes to walk through the fields. Maybe you should invite them over so Beerus can be entertained. He clearly has a hole to fill after the tournament.”

Whis realised this was a great plan. “Thank you for that. I can have Goku take over my role of ferrying.”

Shin’s face dropped, not sure if he was at all comfortable with the idea of Goku replacing Whis on these visits. Sure, he trusted that Goku _would_ take his side, but he’d never quite forgotten the time Goku had threatened to kill him.

 

**ooo**

 

Having Goku turn up with Beerus was definitely much worse. It made things a hundred times more awkward.

 “You’re still not welcome here,” Shin said.

 “Huh?” Goku looked between the two of them, noticing the annoyed look on the kai’s face, and the more sheepish one on Beerus’s. “If you’re not allowed to come here, then why did you have me bring you?”

 “I am _allowed_.”

 “But you’re not _welcome_ ,” Shin pointed out.

Goku’s eyes flicked between the two again. “Hey…did you guys have a fight?”

Immediately Beerus denied it, and Shin confirmed it.

 “It wasn’t a fight! It was training,” Beerus said.

 “I didn’t consent to it!”

 “Aw, man, Lord Beerus doesn’t even train me himself!”

Shin was blown away. “This isn’t something to be jealous over! You could barely call it training. And afterwards he was extremely strange and wouldn’t let me go. Tell me, Goku, how would you feel if someone pinned you to a tree and told you to insult him?”

 “Seems a bit weird if you ask me. I guess I’d have to know who it was to decide if I wanted to insult him.”

Despite everything, Beerus and Shin couldn’t help but make eye contact and silently ask each other if this really was their universe’s greatest warrior.

 “Well, anyway, I’d appreciate it if you’d take Beerus home.”

Beerus frowned, noticing how Shin left off his title. Usually he quite liked it when Shin was more comfortable around him, but he knew it was different this time, and certainly meant in disrespect with Goku present.

 “Alright then.” Goku went to place a hand on Beerus’s shoulder, but it was quickly swatted away.

 “We’re not leaving yet.”

 “It doesn’t look like Supreme Kai wants us here, Lord Beerus, shouldn’t we go and come back another time?”

Shin nodded. “What a sensible suggestion, although, Goku, maybe it would be best to wait for an invitation.”

 “I’m not leaving until you say it.” Oh yes, he certainly wanted to watch as Shin uttered those words in front of Goku.

 “I’m not saying it.” It was one thing to say it with their attendants present, but not in front of a mortal, even if that mortal was Goku who’d pretty much seen it all.

Beerus gave a hard stare. “Perhaps I should tell Grand Zeno that my own Supreme Kai is barring me from his planet and won’t listen to an apology? Goku has his own private line, you know.”

Shin’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t _dare_.”

 “Oh, wouldn’t I?”

He didn’t know if Beerus meant it or not. There was no way to tell at this moment. “How I wish I could travel back in time and stop myself from suggesting this to Whis.”

Beerus let out a loud laugh. “You’ve dug your own grave?! Here I thought Whis had just got tired of all my bullshit – and yours too. Anyway, Goku, let’s go and –“

 “Stop!” Shin remembered that small button Grand Zeno had given Goku. There was no ‘let’s go’ about it, rather Zeno would show up here, on this world, at this very spot. “I…I’ll listen to your apology.”

A wide grin appeared on Beerus’s face. “Good. We’re finally getting somewhere.”

 “Well?” Shin asked.

 “I’m sorry.”

 “Is that all?”

 “Um, well, I had more, but it’s been so _long_ that I’ve forgotten most of it…”

 “I can’t believe you!”

Beerus stepped forward so he didn’t feel like he was shouting his apology across the gap between them. He was about to take Shin’s hand, but thought better of it, mainly because Goku was still watching, even if he was pretending to be interested in a tree. “Look, Shin, I’m sorry for making you spar with me, and then hurting you in the process. I’m sorry for…being a bit ‘weird’ after and not letting you leave. And I’m also sorry I’ve been bothering you every day since. Please accept my humblest apologies and let us put all this behind us.”

Shin sighed. “I suppose I can’t remain mad at you forever; it’s just not ideal in our position. I’ll accept your apology, but don’t think I’ll forget this any time soon.”

Beerus held out a hand and Shin shook it.

 “Aw, that’s great!” Goku beamed. “I’m so glad you guys made it up!”

 “Go away.” Beerus grabbed him by the shirt and was about to shove him away, but stopped. “Actually, let’s go. Come on, back home.”

 “Alright then, see ya, Supreme Kai.”

In an instant they were standing on the balcony of Capsule Corp.

 “This isn’t home, you idiot!” Beerus clipped him over the back of the head before realising. “Whis! What are you -?! Attending one of Bulma’s buffets _without me?!_ ”

Goku’s mouth watered looking at the spread before him. “This is great!”

Whis looked a bit sheepish. “Of course, I forgot that Goku would use Vegeta’s energy to take you home… I hadn’t intended to bring Vegeta with me, but he has something against me spending time with Bulma alone.”

 “Well, looks like you’ve just started, so there’s no problem.” Beerus picked up a plate and began to load it with food. “I’m glad Vegeta has such a problem; without it you would have sneaked off and enjoyed all this by yourself. Sharing is caring, dear Whis.”

 “I would have brought you some back.”

 “Nothing like having it fresh.” Beerus bit some chicken off a skewer and finally took a seat after circling the whole table. “Anyway, you got a problem, Vegeta?”

 “No, sir.”

 “Uh-huh. Don’t lie to me.”

Vegeta could feel his mouth drying up. In a small voice he asked, “What kind of problem could I have?”

 “Vegeta, _Vegeta_ … Come now, don’t tell me you weren’t listening to my conversation with Whis just now. I know Goku wasn’t chewing your ears off at the time because his face is full of food.”

A curious noise came from Goku, aware he was being talked about. Beerus waved him away.

 “Well, sir, I just don’t see why I should be left on your planet while Whis goes to my home to visit my family. I should be a good host too.”

Beerus clapped. “What a perfect answer. I mean, he’s good, isn’t he?” Beerus asked Whis. “You would expect as much from a prince.”

 “Oh yes, I couldn’t fault him – if only he had come out with that the first time you asked.”

Vegeta gulped and mentally scolded himself. These two had seen and heard it all. At that point Bulma came by with the final dish.

 “Goku?! And Lord Beerus?!” She sighed. “If you’d told me you were coming, I’d have ordered more.”

 “Our apologies, it wasn’t planned,” Beerus said. “But some people try to keep things all to themselves.”

 “Whis said you were busy.”

 “I was, but not anymore. Say, Bulma, were you expecting Vegeta?”

 “No. He only left yesterday, and it’s unlike him to come home so soon.”

Beerus looked back at Vegeta. “How interesting. By the way, this sushi is fantastic.”

 

**Ooo**

 

Whis had the saiyans back in their heavy suits, doing press-ups on their thumbs. It was a good way to keep them entertained while he did other things.

 “How did it go with the Supreme Kai?” Whis had been itching to hear the outcome all day, but had refrained from asking over lunch in case it hadn’t gone to plan.

 “I had to threaten him with Grand Zeno, but I got him to listen to me. He accepted the apology.”

 “Good. I’m glad that’s over with.”

 “But he said he won’t forget.”

 “Of course not. But the next coordination meeting won’t be as awkward as I was starting to fear it would be.”

 “I’ll see him before then.”

Whis raised his brows. “You will? How unlike you.”

 “I want us to be better…friends.” The word sounded strange to him. “Like the destroyers and the kais from the other universes. I’m sure that’s a factor in making us stronger.”

 “It certainly can’t hurt.”

Beerus peered at the angel. “You know more. Why are you always so cryptic? Tell me if I’m right.”

 “I know you like to believe I’m enlightened in all matters of the universe, but I only look after Universe 7, and my knowledge of other universes is limited, although larger than yours. Perhaps the Grand Priest might know. Or would you rather ask Grand Zeno?”

 “It seems I’m destined not to know. But enough of my problems. Tell me about this little tiff between you and Vegeta.”

 “It’s hardly a ‘tiff.’ It’s nothing more than an overprotective, slightly territorial, and possibly jealous man.”

Beerus laughed. “What an accurate description. I’m sure he’d hate to be described as such. But, come on, ‘ _possibly_ jealous?’ The man’s dripping with jealousy. I see it every time Goku bests him.”

 “That’s not what I meant. His jealousy stems from me spending time with Bulma. As if _I_ could possibly be out to steal his wife.”

This time Beerus laughed even harder, to the point where the saiyans paused and looked his way. “No way. _You?!_ ” Beerus continued to howl.

 “My lord, you’re drawing attention.”

 “Good. I need to draw attention to how stupid this is!” He stood up on the tree trunk and pointed at Vegeta. “Be nice to Whis or I won’t let him train you anymore.”

Vegeta lost his balance and crashed to the floor. “What?!”

 “He’s not being mean. He just has obvious concerns,” Whis said.

Vegeta struggled closer. “What’s he been telling you?! I’ve done nothing but been on my best behaviour!”

 “Even _I_ don’t police Whis’s social engagements, so I don’t expect you to either. Although, I do wish he’d tell me when those engagements involved delicious food.” He side-eyed Whis. “He told me you’re against him spending time with Bulma. Need I remind you that she’s one of the reasons your planet’s still standing?”

 “N-no, sir.”

 “I don’t want to hear any more of this rubbish about you thinking Whis wants anything more from Bulma than her delicious cooking.”

Vegeta almost choked on air. “I –“

 “Shut up. I know Whis doesn’t always act like it, but he’s an angel - in both senses of the word. Mortal lifespans aside, he doesn’t do romantic attachments. You have more to fear from me when it comes to such matters. Now you better get back to your training; Goku’s ahead of you.”

Vegeta nodded and gave a half-bow before struggling back to his position.

 “There you go, problem sorted,” Beerus said. “I feel like I’ve been sorting a lot of things out today.”

 “Thank you. That was a nice compliment to hear.”

 “I don’t know why you didn’t just tell him yourself.”

Whis shrugged. “It was fun letting it drag on. Seeing that concerned expression as Bulma and I got on like a house on fire… Ah, I’ll miss it. The best bit was knowing that even if he wanted to do something, he _couldn’t_.”

 “Have I messed up your fun? Should I take it back?”

 “No, it has become quite tiresome at times. It’s such a strange, trivial mortal matter. I’m glad I don’t have to put up with such things with you.”

 “I’d drink to that. Although – don’t tell them – but I find it quite endearing that they both love their families so much.”


	3. Let's be friends!

 “What do you mean he’s not here?” Beerus had knocked on the door of the kai’s residence and been greeted by Old Kai.

 “You’re not always home, are you?”

 “No. Where is he?”

Old Kai shrugged. “Somewhere.”

 “What’s he doing?”

 “His job, I’d imagine.”

Beerus huffed. If he’d made Goku take him, he’d have been transported straight to where Shin was, but he’d opted for Whis and the freedom that afforded him. Taking Goku had been like taking a small child along, but a really important one he couldn’t lose. “Well, I didn’t come all this way for nothing. I’ll wait for him to return.”

 “Suit yourself.”

Beerus began to walk, deciding he would explore the planet a bit more, maybe see if he could possibly get lost on it. Or maybe he could find a really cosy place where he could nap…

 “You don’t have to come with me,” Beerus said.

 “I’d rather spend time with you than Old Kai.” Whis was a few paces behind. “Besides, you’ll get bored soon.”

 “I’ll sleep when that happens. I meant that you can leave and pick me up later.”

 “Alright then. I think it would put both our minds at rest to know someone is there making sure the saiyans aren’t destroying the place…or the food supplies.”

Beerus nodded. “It would. Pick me up in 12 hours or something.”

Whis disappeared and Beerus continued to wander the planet. It was a lot bigger than he expected. There were waterfalls he had been unaware of, a pool with giant lotus leaves, and fields of colourful flowers. The planet seemed to have every natural feature you could think of. Certainly he had not expected the mountain, but it wasn’t out of place as he admired it.

By now he was flying around the planet, having gotten bored of the slow walk among such large fields and forests. At least he had killed several hours before finding himself back in front of the kai’s residence. He climbed the tree he had so often had tea beneath, finding a nice nook he could curl up in. Now he would wait, dozing until Shin turned up, or Whis came for him.

 

His ears pricked up at the sound of voices.

 “How long’s he been there?” Ah, Shin was here.

Beerus stretched, massaging his neck; he sure had slept in a strange position to feel like this.

 “He’s been sleeping for three days,” Old Kai said.

 “What?!” Beerus almost fell out of the tree, but luckily his tail had wrapped itself around the branch he’d been resting on. “What about Whis?”

 “He came by, but said he’d leave you here.”

 “Is that all?”

Old Kai shrugged. “I didn’t press him for details. Not like I care. You were asleep and quiet which is all that matters.”

Beerus finally came down from the tree and righted himself. He looked at the man he’d come to see and then blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. “Huh?”

It was Shin, but he looked completely different. His hair was slightly curled, and his clothes, although in his usual colours, were not in any way formal attire. Why, the oversized top he was wearing was hanging off a shoulder slightly, baring his purple skin. The only way he was identifiable as a Supreme Kai were his potara earrings.

 “What’s with this get-up?”

 “It’s called fashion.”

Beerus looked to Kibito, but found that he too was wearing something unusual. “I know I’ve seen you in a few different outfits over the years, but this,” he fondled Shin’s curled hair, “is something else.”

 “Sometimes it’s easier to be among a planet’s people if you blend in. It was a fun experience, and it felt like I was letting loose for once.”

 “It suits you.” Beerus couldn’t possibly come right out with it and tell Shin he looked extremely cute.

 “Well, the fun’s over. I would hate for someone else to suddenly drop in and see me like this.” He clapped his hands once and his usual attire appeared, but the curls in his hair stayed. “Say, why have you been waiting so long for me?”

 “Why did you go away for 3 days? Seems like something you should have done when I was pestering you daily.”

 “I didn’t want you following me across the universe. But sometimes I like to visit different places and learn about planets in our universe. Much like how you go around tasting all the food, I go and just absorb the culture. Now, answer my question.”

 “As you may have realised, I didn’t intend to be here for 3 days. But I wasn’t going to make Whis take me home as soon as I realised you weren’t here.”

Shin nodded. “That doesn’t answer the question of why you came in the first place.”

 “I wanted to hang out. You know, get straight back on it with rebuilding our relationship. I…” Beerus was suddenly aware of both Kibito and Old Kai watching him. “Let’s walk.”

Shin obliged, letting Beerus pick the direction.

 “I was talking to Whis and I realised it: I want us to be friends like the other destroyers and kais.”

 “I see.”

 “That sounded very…disapproving?”

 “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. But I must say, I’m not sure we’ll ever reach that kind of…”

 “Not with that kind of negative attitude.”

 “I am all for trying. As long as you realise what it means to be a friend. Friends don’t treat each other like you treat me sometimes.”

 “Yeah, I…I figured. I won’t get it right all the time, but I’m hoping you can steer me in the right direction.”

Shin sighed. “Why do I have to teach you how to treat people?”

 “Whis can tell me all day about how to act, but there’s nothing like having the actual experience.”

Shin didn’t know what to say. “Aren’t you two friends? Don’t you have any friends?”

 “Of course we are! But you see, most of my friends – and so-called friends – are as strong as me. And of course, the other destroyers and I have a very rough friendship. I need someone like you to show me the softer side. Whis can’t show me that; he’ll show me tough, sarcastic love back. Although, _you_ have a sarcastic side, I’ve noticed.”

 “I do try and keep it to a minimum. Kibito says it’s unbecoming of a Supreme Kai. Although based on what we saw of the other Supreme Kais, I’d say it’s something that comes naturally to us.”

Beerus grinned. “I enjoy it. Stay sarcastic.”

 “Maybe. Also, none of this telling me to insult you. Friends don’t do that.”

 “Vegeta and Goku insult each other all the time – well, mainly Vegeta, but still.”

Shin frowned. “Their _friendship_ is not a shining example, nor was it the type I had in mind.”

 “Okay, we do it your way.” He was all for a little experiment. “I think it’s time for me to head off.”

 “I thought you wanted to hang out?”

 “Yeah, but Whis has come for me, and I haven’t eaten in three days. I hope he’s brought a snack for the journey.”

 “Oh, there you are, my lord!” Whis waved as Beerus and Shin came back into view. “Enjoy your nap?”

 “Not as comfy as it could have been. But then I was only meant to be in that tree for a few hours.”

 “Oh, I suppose, but you looked so content, I thought I’d leave you a little longer. I know how you hate the saiyans training so nosily and waking you.”

Beerus hummed. “I suppose that was quite considerate of you. Did you bring something for me to eat?”

Whis pulled out a paper bag and handed it over.

 “What’s this?”

 “It’s called a sausage roll.”

 “Another Earth delicacy? Have I missed yet another trip?”

 “Well, with Goku around we’re able to get there in half the time – once he can finally pick up someone’s energy on Earth. So I decided to have a little shopping trip. I’ve all manner of cakes and pastries from Bulma’s local bakeries.”

Beerus’s mouth watered at the idea of what was waiting for him. “Come on then, let’s go.”

 “Not inviting your _friend_ to the feast awaiting you?”

Shin shook his head. “I’d rather spend a bit of time here after being away.”

 “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. The cakes can wait.”

 “How kind,” Whis said as Beerus placed a hand on his back and they disappeared in a flash of light.

Shin stood there, unable to negotiate Beerus’s next visit.

 

**ooo**

 

 “…Black forest gateaux, salted caramel cheesecake, Victoria sponge cake, and an assortment of macaroons.” Whis pointed out all of the desserts.

 “Thank you, Whis. I’ll save you a slice of each as long as those saiyans don’t get a whiff of my secret date.”

 “I’ve already sampled them all – in the bakery on the day, so please don’t worry.” Whis bowed to them both and left.

 “…Secret date? I mean, Goku knows I’m here.”

 “Those saiyans would eat all this cake in minutes. I’m not wasting it on them.” Beerus decided to start heavy, taking a large slice of the gateaux.

 “Won’t you save them one slice? You offered some to Whis.” Shin’s first choice was the sponge.

 “But then I’d have to save _two_ slices of each. Besides, Whis bought all of this, so it was only right I offer. That’s what a friend would do, right?”

 “Yes, but a friend would also offer regardless of whether they thought someone had earned it.”

Beerus nodded, whether in agreement with the statement or the quality of the cake it was unclear. “Well, Goku and Vegeta aren’t my friends. They’re my entertainment. My trainees. My…worshippers.”

 “…I didn’t think you thought of your godhood in such a way.”

 “I don’t, but the way those two follow me around and beg me for this and that, they might as well be some kind of disciples. I mean, tell me honestly, do you consider Goku a friend?”

 “No, but I would certainly call his son, Gohan, a friend. We had a lot more to do with each other during the Buu crisis than I did with Goku.”

Beerus picked on the cheesecake next. “I can see that. You two are both so soft and polite, I can see you getting on.”

 “Officially, Gohan’s a disciple of Old Kai, you know. We let him stay with us for a day – or two? - making him the first mortal on the planet for many millennia.”

 “What an impressive title. Shame he hasn’t lived up to it.”

 “He did just fine in the Tournament of Power.”

 “You don’t have to defend him, I know he did well. But for all the training you must have put him through just a few years ago, he sure wasn’t impressive enough. He could be up there on Goku’s level.”

 “I know,” Shin sighed. “He’s surpassed Goku a few times, but he’ll never do it again. Not that it matters with those two around.”

 “I suppose not, but if he _could_ … That would be some motivation.”

 “His daughter shows promise too. Maybe he might dabble in martial arts again when she grows up.”

 “Been spying on him, have you?”

 “Wha – no. I…I just like to keep tabs on some people.”

 “Do you ever visit?” Beerus was onto the macaroons now. There was quite a colourful selection. He wanted to try all the flavours.

 “No. I fear it would be strange.”

 “How so? You’re friends, right?”

 “Yes, but… We’re not the kind of people to just ‘hang out’ for the sake of it. He leads a busy life with his work and family, and I’m just not very good at random social situations.”

 “Yeah, I noticed. Eat your cake.”

Shin pouted as he ate a spoonful. “ _Thanks_.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “D’you have to have a picnic right there, Lord Beerus?” Goku asked as he did another push up, a large weight on his back.

 “Do you have a problem? Maybe you should train elsewhere?”

Goku gave a strained smile. “It’s really hard to just get up and go.”

 “Shut up, Kakarot.”

 “But, Vegeta, it’s really distracting looking at all this food. And he keeps making noises like it’s really good.”

 “Of course it’s really good! I chose all of this.”

Vegeta sighed. “Just stop looking at it. _You’re_ distracting _me_. I’m less than a thousand push-ups from the end.”

Beerus handed Shin a bowl of strawberries. “These are really good this time of year.”

Shin picked out the nicest-looking one and bit into it. “Oh! This is delightful. But, do you always sit so close to these two?”

 “It’s better than damaging your vocal cords shouting across the planet. Besides, this is training their discipline too.”

 “It could be worse,” Whis said. “We could have hot food with tempting aromas.”

The three of them sat watching the saiyans, every now and then catching Goku’s eye before he quickly looked away again.

 “I’m done,” Vegeta announced.

Whis materialised his staff and freed Vegeta from the weights on his back. He got up and stretched.

 “50,000!” Goku yelled a minute later. As soon as the weights were lifted he scrambled to the edge of the picnic blanket.

Whis hit the hand that went for an orange. “You’re not done, Goku.”

 “Aw, come on, just a bit of sugar to keep me going.”

 “That was just a warm-up. Now you have to hit me to earn a reward.”

Goku groaned. “Alright. You sure do pick the hardest tasks sometimes.”

 “Of course. There’s a greater reward at stake today.”

 “It’s just some fruit…”

 “But you want some, right?”

 “Yeah!”

 “Exactly. So work for it. Also, I’ll let you know that the pomelo I picked today is the best one I’ve tasted.”

 “Hey, Vegeta, come and help me win some of the best pomelo!”

Shin’s attention turned to the pomelo in question. “How often do they manage to land a hit?”

 “Not very often. It’s hard enough for _me_.”

Shin watched as Whis seemed to dance between the saiyans, as if he knew each move. His hands behind his back, he dodged the onslaught with ease. Shin was in awe. “He’s amazing.”

 “Of course. He couldn’t be able teach me anything otherwise.”

He watched as Whis grabbed a fist of each saiyan and threw them back as if they were children.

 “Technically we hit you there!” Goku said.

 “Don’t be smart. You know what I want from you.”

Shin wasn’t sure if he’d want someone like this to teach him. It wasn’t as if his job required something like this, but deep down he did feel a hint of jealousy that his counterpart was given such an attendant.

They continued on, floating across the lake, but neither managing to hit Whis.

 “How long does it take?” Shin asked.

 “Until Whis gets bored. Then he’ll let one of them get him. I think it’s Goku’s turn today.”

 “Whis will get bored before those two tire? Amazing.”

Beerus shrugged and laid down, placing his head on Shin’s thigh. “Maybe he does it just when he sees them starting to lag. We need to give them something attainable, otherwise they’d never improve.”

 “I thought that if you told Goku something couldn’t be done, then he’d find a way to do it.” Shin tried to stay calm, unsure of how he felt about Beerus laying on him.

 “Yeah, but that doesn’t work with Vegeta. For him we use the fact that Goku once hit Whis to spur him on. I mean, Whis doesn’t hand out free hits every day.”

Shin picked up some grapes, and Beerus pointed to his mouth. “You want me to feed you?”

 “Well, you’ve picked them up, so might as well give me some.” He held out a hand if Shin preferred that.

He tore a small bunch off and placed them in Beerus’s palm. “But have they ever genuinely hit Whis?”

 “Not sure. I know there’s been a couple of occasions where I’ve distracted him and caused one of them to land a cheap shot. There was also that time Goku bit Whis…”

 “That’s a bit more than just a hit.”

 “It’s not the kind of strategy one expects. But I guess Goku is _that_ unpredictable. Whis was so pissed off, it was quite amusing, but I made him continue training with Goku as it was just before the Tournament. Oh, look, they’re coming back.”

You could see how much Goku wanted to run ahead and lay hands on some fruit, but he walked politely behind Whis, just in case his eagerness delayed the feast further. As soon as Whis had resumed his seat, Goku reached for the orange he’d eyed up earlier.

 “That was quick,” Beerus noted. “Who won?”

 “No one. I simply couldn’t stop thinking about that pomelo. I saw Supreme Kai enjoying some, and worried that maybe I wouldn’t get another piece.”

 “Seems like I need to instil some discipline in you too,” Beerus said.

Whis rolled his eyes. “Yes, you who lay there watching us all day.”

 “Yeah, Lord Beerus, will you ever spar with us?” Goku asked.

 “I told you, Whis is _my_ teacher, so he’s the best one to train you.”

 “That’s called passing the buck, my lord. Don’t you worry that perhaps I could train these two to be better than you?”

Beerus gave a short laugh. “As if. I’ll just have you train me some more. Don’t get any ideas, you two. I’m only letting Whis train you so _I_ can have some fun when you’re good enough.”

Vegeta finally spoke up. “I agree with Kakarot. I think it would benefit us to go up against someone with a different fighting style. Whis is very defensive. We need to go up against someone more offensive like you. Kakarot won’t find his ultra instinct again otherwise.”

Beerus frowned. As much as he enjoyed watching Goku achieve such a state in the tournament, he himself hadn’t mastered it. He didn’t want to help Goku unlock it again just yet – not until he had a hold on the technique. “Whis, be more offensive. I know you don’t like to get your hands dirty, but maybe we can get rid of them faster that way.”

 “I thought you liked having them around,” Shin said.

Beerus shoved a hand up into Shin’s face. “I like when they bring food over. Otherwise they’re just a pair of noisy monkeys who create a lot of work for Whis.” Truthfully, he did like having the saiyans around as they were quite amusing, but he didn’t want them to know that.

 “Is that why Supreme Kai’s suddenly around all the time too?” Goku asked. “What kind of food are you bringing Lord Beerus?”

 “None,” Beerus said before Shin could answer. “He’s exempt from such an offering.”

 “Wow… You must really like him!” Goku concluded. “One day I wanna be on that level too!”

Vegeta put a hand to his face. “Idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to SimplyHardCoreShipping for finding the art that inspired the 'it's called fashion' line: http://purplesce.tumblr.com/post/172497890372/shin-in-booty-shorts


	4. Help me, Whis, you're my only ho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a quote from the show in this chapter, but it has yet to be dubbed, so we have the subbed line. I look forward to hearing how they dub it.

 “No Goku or Vegeta today?” Shin asked. These days he came of his own accord to visit Beerus.

 “No, it’s some Earth holiday or other. Their families insisted they go home for it.”

 “Oh? Didn’t you want to go and see what it was all about?”

Beerus cocked a brow. “That seems like something _you_ should do. I was told it isn’t focused on food, so I passed. Besides, I’ve seen too much of those two recently; I deserve a break.”

 “These things happen annually on Earth, I can go another time.”

 “Good. I wasn’t trying to get you to leave. Next time you should come wearing one of those cute outfits you call fashion.”

 “Cute?” Shin looked up at Beerus curiously, who had stopped walking.

 “Did I say that?” Beerus wanted to hit himself for that slip-up. “It must be true, because I said it.”

Shin blushed, amazed at how that was turned back on him. He hadn’t expected Beerus to admit it. “M-maybe I can take you to a fashionable planet and we can find something for you too.”

 “Not interested. I don’t want to dress up, I just like dressing up other people. We got Vegeta into a pink apron once, you know. But sure, I’ll go with you and pick something that’ll look amazing on you. And we’ll take Whis too. He always looks so good in everything with his tall figure.”

 “Alright then, it’s a… It’s a plan.”

 “No, Shin, it’s a _date_. Say what you mean.”

 “But it _is_ a plan. That we just created. We haven’t decided a date yet.”

Beerus ruffled Shin’s hair. “Sure, kiddo. I know you were thinking of that word though. Say, that reminds me…something that happened during the tournament.” Beerus sat down at the edge of the lake and hummed. “What was it again?”

Shin sat down beside him. “What was it to do with?”

 “It was something you said…” Beerus focused hard on remembering the exact wording. “And then…yeah, she shot at you after that.”

Ah yes, Shin knew exactly what Beerus was thinking of. He was still shocked that any of the fighters would attack their Supreme Kai, and was even more embarrassed that it was _he_ who had been the only one to receive such treatment. Surely he was even more of a laughing stock among the other universes now.

 “I remember now!” Beerus said with a grin. He turned to make sure he could see Shin’s face. “You said ‘you two are so lovey-dovey I’m jealous. How sweet.’” He had had Whis play it back to him a few times so he remembered the wording, but he had planned to spring this on Shin ages ago, before he caused that rift between them.

Shin smiled. “Yes, it was inspiring to see Krillin and 18 display so much love on the battlefield. Although I don’t think I deserved what happened next.” He rubbed his cheek.

 “No, that was uncalled for. How dare she threaten to kill you?! And you – you shouldn’t have to apologise! I would have said something, but I was too busy…um.” He didn’t want to tell Shin he was busy signalling to Whis to make sure that bit was recorded and filed away for easy access. “Well, I was very interested in that line you said. The bit where you said you were jealous. I didn’t think it was very kai-like.”

Shin knew he was blushing furiously, but he still tried his hardest not to react. “I suppose not. I said it in the heat of the moment.”

Beerus poked a cheek. “But look at you. There was something real in it. Tell me about it, Shin.” He pulled the kai into an embrace and whispered quietly. “Do you actually seek fulfilment in that area?”

 “It must be a phase,” Shin said. “Kais don’t… I mean, we do _love_ but not like that. I think I’ve been watching the mortals for too long. Watching their attachments to others, watching them love and lose. It makes me wonder what it could be like. Maybe it’s a youthful phase I’m having. I don’t know…”

 “Haven’t you asked that old man? Or maybe your attendant would know?”

Shin shook his head. “I’m only sharing this with you because you asked. I’m not going to ask others about it. It’s not important.”

 “Hm. I doubt Whis would know. Kais aren’t his area of expertise. But it sounds like it’s something important for you to explore.”

Shin sighed and pulled his knees up to his chin. “No. Because I’ll always lose. I’ll outlive whoever I pick. Because I did pick someone…”

Beerus was about to offer a suggestion, but he kept quiet, waiting for Shin to elaborate.

 “I don’t know what came over me, but I was enamoured by this mortal I met… I wanted to keep him with me and look after him. I brought him home and…” Shin didn’t want to go into too many details. “Well, it was pointless. He couldn’t get over the fact I was a Supreme Kai basically. For him it wasn’t a possibility to stay with me for something more long-term. Maybe it was to do with the fact he had someone waiting for him back…home.” He’d done very well so far – the last thing he wanted was to name-drop the planet.

 “Well, obviously you can see your own problem there. You need someone who’s _not_ a mortal.”

 “Really narrows the pool. I’ll probably already know them.”

 “Eh, what can you do?”

 “I don’t think you get it, Beerus. When I fell for –“ _Come on, don’t name drop._ “For this mortal, it was sudden, unexpected. I can’t just replicate that.”

Beerus thought about it a bit more. “Maybe you can go back to that planet and find another similar mortal, but don’t tell them who you are this time. And pick one that’s not attached. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find one of his descendants.”

 “…No.”

 “I thought that was a good idea.”

 “Maybe. But, I mean, he’s still alive. He doesn’t have plural descendants.”

 “ _Oh?!_ Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go and show this chump that you don’t reject a Supreme Kai – especially not _my_ Shin.” Beerus was on his feet, ready to go.

Shin pulled him back down. “No, please. Just forget I said anything.”

Beerus leaned in close, staring Shin down. “You know I can’t just let this go. I need to find out who this mortal is. Let’s start with the planet. I’ll just go and erase it for the disrespect this guy’s shown you, but not before you tell me who he is so I can make him watch as I destroy all he holds dear.”

 “Please calm down, it’s not…it’s nothing really. I’m over it.”

 “I don’t care. I’m not over it on your behalf. Come on, Shin, just the quadrant to start.”

Shin sighed and stared back at Beerus. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

 “Oh no. I love a problem that can be fixed with destruction.”

 “That’s not how it’ll work…”

 “It will. For me. I’ll be happier.”

 “You really won’t be. Trust me. How would you feel if Earth was destroyed?”

Beerus hummed. “I’d be pretty sad, I guess. The food’s too good to pass up. Hell, I fought Champa over that planet, so I guess I’d be a bit gutted honestly.”

 “Exactly.”

Beerus stopped and replayed the conversation quickly. “W-wait. He’s from Earth?! You found this guy…when you went after Buu then?”

 “After Babidi,” Shin corrected him. He hated that Beerus always forgot the important point that he was not so foolish as to wait for Buu to be released before acting. “Yes, that’s when we met.”

Beerus rubbed Shin’s cheeks. “Aw, that was like last week!” he exaggerated. It sure felt that way in their lifetimes. “It must be so fresh still.”

 “This was all over in a matter of days. As I said, it doesn’t matter.”

 “Days?! Jeez that’s barely enough time to learn someone’s name, let alone fall in love. Maybe you didn’t give him enough time.”

 “I didn’t waste my time chasing a dead end.”

 “Well, maybe I won’t destroy my favourite culinary planet over a day-long romance. I still want to know who it was.”

Shin said nothing.

 “Man, you’re really going to make this hard for me? Was it a human?”

 “Um…” This was about to get really difficult if he didn’t lie.

 “What else? Namekian?”

 “No.”

 “Saiyan?” Beerus smirked as he asked that. And his grin widened when Shin didn’t immediately deny it. “ _Oh?”_

 “It’s not Goku or Vegeta.”

 “Damn. That would have been quite the tale to hear. But, by process of elimination, I think I’ve got it. I can’t believe I didn’t guess it earlier. I mean, you’ve already told me about this friend of yours.”

Shin could feel each heartbeat, and his breathing become shallow as he waited for Beerus’s opinion.

 “I said you two made a good pair. You really believe in him, right? I remember how relieved you were when we chose him. Ah, and the pair of you working on our universe’s team for the tournament… I see it. But I never would have guessed from the way you both acted that there had been anything more.” Beerus went over the memories. “Gohan moved on quickly though, what with that baby he has.”

 “For him it was nothing more than a very strange few days. There was so much happening that I’m sure my feelings were the least of his worries, and when he thinks of that time it’s what he remembers least.”

 “Surely when he sees you he thinks about it, or was this all in your head? Did you actually say _anything_ to him?”

Shin frowned and shot Beerus a look. “Of course I did. We… I told him. I made it very clear in my opinion, and then invited him to live with me more long term.”

Beerus had a funny look on his face. “’Very clear’ and ‘in my opinion’ in the same sentence… I just don’t know what to think. Maybe you should tell me more.”

 “Since when were you so interested in these things?” Shin asked in a last ditch attempt to get Beerus off his case.

 “Since this is something I don’t know about you, and I’m very intrigued by my life link who goes to fight a powerful majin and falls in love instead. But also, you’re extremely embarrassed right now and I’m living for it. So, please, the details.”

Shin looked away, trying to compose himself. “As you should know – assuming you’ve listened to my previous accounts of the Buu debacle – we brought Gohan back to my world for training. He pulled out the Z-sword and freed Old Kai, who offered to unlock Gohan’s potential. I watched him sit there for over a day while Old Kai danced around him. I had a lot of time to think about what to say. I saw the way he’d catch my eye and shyly look away. That was cute…”

 “Didn’t you just read his mind?”

 “Of course I did. Every time he noticed me, he quickly focused his mind back on unlocking whatever power he believed he was finding. Otherwise the other times I dipped in, his thoughts were full of the turmoil back on Earth, comparing it to the peace he was sitting in. Towards the end he just thought of how tired he was. So once Old Kai announced the ritual was over, I took him inside and gave him my bed to rest in.”

Beerus looked scandalised. “You didn’t…”

 “Aren’t you listening? The boy was exhausted from having been up for over a day. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. I stayed with him though.”

 “Right. You still haven’t told me anything about you actually saying something though.”

 “I’m getting to it. Obviously we were pushed for time, so I had to wake him once he was rested enough. I tried to help while he slept. I was bold…I woke him with a kiss.”

This time Beerus was actually shocked. “Okay. I believe you a bit more now.”

 “And perhaps it wasn’t the best time to say it all when he was still so dazed with sleep, but I told him I wanted him to remain with me.”

 “But did you say you loved him?”

 “That’s such a strong word. I didn’t go so far.”

 “Oh, but a kiss is fine?”

Shin hid his face in his hands. “I couldn’t say it, but…I showed him instead.”

Beerus leaned in closer and whispered in Shin’s ear. “What exactly?”

 “I didn’t want to let him go. I had him right there… On my bed, away from the others. Please don’t make me recall it.”

Nothing could stop the low chuckle from coming out of Beerus. “Sorry, my imagination isn’t what it used to be. You’ll have to explain, lest I think _something else_ happened. Clearly you wanted this boy more than anything – and god would I love to have seen that – but I know you. You and your boundaries. I wonder if they disappeared for him.”

 “It’s appalling to look back on. To think I was that…”

 “Sounds like the word you’re looking for is ‘horny,’” Beerus said with a grin.

Shin disapproved of the word. “It wasn’t that… Well, maybe it was a little. My point is I didn’t act in a manner befitting my status.”

 “You kais and your high and mighty attitude. You make lifeforms that need to fuck to multiply, and yet the idea of yourselves doing just that gets you all flustered. Strange.”

 “It’s different,” Shin insisted. “Kais don’t ‘multiply’ like that. But anyway, my point is that I used that same trick you used on me however many millions of years ago.”

Now Beerus couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “Trick?! It’s the truth!”

 “Oh, so you do remember?”

 “Of course I do.” He wasn’t going to expand on the fact he’d been thinking about the ways he’d managed to get Shin into his own bed in their short-lived fling a long time ago. And how he was planning to possibly reuse some of those methods soon.

 “He was tense about the upcoming fight with Buu, so I suppose it wasn’t a trick this time either. And I really took advantage of reading his mind to make sure he enjoyed every minute.”

 “You sly dog. I wish I could do that. I wish I could do it right now so I knew exactly what you two got up to.”

 “You know, I think there should be something secret between people. I believe I’ve told you enough.”

Beerus pouted. “No. You didn’t tell me if he repaid you in kind.”

 “He did.” Shin hid his face again. “It was so cute the way he worried about me… But afterwards, once everything with Buu was finished I knew I couldn’t take him away from Earth. He had too many attachments there. It was never going to work out.”

 “Jeez, I can’t believe I didn’t work this one out sooner.” Beerus had a hand on his chin, running through their interactions again. “That kid sure is chill. But then again, looks like your lust for him dried up pretty quickly too.”

 “…Yeah. Better that way.”

 “No feelings since then?” Beerus really was trying to grasp at straws.

 “Not directed at anyone. As I said, I watch mortals, and it’s like an empty feeling in my chest that I’ve never had the chance to try and fill. I just want to understand their joy. Maybe I’m a broken kai…”

Beerus suddenly had the urge to hug Shin tightly. “No you’re not. Broken kais are like that asshole Zamasu. You’re fine the way you are.”

Was Beerus just saying this to make him feel better? Since when was Beerus such a supportive other half? Then again, Beerus had known kais before him…perhaps he was telling the truth. He said nothing, only leaning into the embrace.

 

Whis found the pair by the lake, Shin lying on top of Beerus, both sleeping soundly. It was quite the adorable picture, and he smiled at the sight, happy that Beerus had finally made it up with Shin properly. Quietly he knelt down next to the pair and whispered into Beerus’s ear.

 “My lord, you’ve been out here for 5 hours now.”

Beerus felt a weight on his chest and cracked an eye open to see Shin there. He smiled down at the sleeping kai before turning to Whis. “Leave us a bit longer.”

 “Perhaps you’d like a pillow or a blanket?” Whis brushed Beerus’s arm. “You’ll both get cold soon.”

Shin stirred and Beerus frowned. “Look, you’ve woken him.”

 “It was the rumbling of your chest,” Shin said.

 “Well, if Whis hadn’t disturbed me, I wouldn’t have disturbed you.”

Shin got up, and Beerus realised how much warmth he’d been providing. “I wouldn’t have slept for much longer anyway.”

 “Can I get you something to eat?” Whis asked before Beerus could make his request for food.

 “Something sweet,” Beerus said. “Like that chicken you got from Earth the other week. What was it…sweet and something?”

 “Sour.”

 “Yes, something like that.”

Whis bowed. “I’ll get right on it.”

Beerus turned to Shin. “You’re staying, right?”

 “If you’re offering.”

Beerus nodded and began to walk back to his castle. Hopefully it would be ready by the time they got back.

 “Hey, Beerus…”

 “Yeah?”

 “Thanks for listening to me earlier,” Shin said, glad to be a few paces behind. “And for not ridiculing me.”

 “A friend wouldn’t do that.”

 “I know, but… Well, you’re so involved with Goku at the minute, it would have been the perfect opportunity to say something…whatever your opinion may be.”

 “Personally _I_ don’t see what you saw in him, but it’s not like I have refined tastes either, so who am I to judge?” He wouldn’t be proud to introduce any of the mortals he’d had relations with to Shin, especially seeing as he could only remember one or two names. Luckily most of them were probably dead by now. “But, tell me, does Goku know?”

 “I doubt it. I don’t think Gohan has told anyone. Actually, _you’re_ the only person I’ve told.”

 “I’m honoured. But not even Kibito? I tell Whis _everything_.” Whether he liked it or not.

 “No… We’re not nearly as close as you two.”

 “You don’t have the tens of millions of years of experience of each other yet. It’ll come with time. But I won’t mention this to anyone apart from maybe Whis. I doubt Goku would care. Sometimes I wonder how that guy had one kid, let alone two.”

 “Thank you.”

 

**ooo**

 

Beerus pressed his face into Whis’s back and began to knead between his shoulder blades.

Whis chose to ignore him, continuing to stock take the cupboard. In response Beerus slipped his hand under the outer layer Whis wore, only the maroon robe stood between his hand and Whis’s skin now.

 “Did you want something, my lord?”

All he got was a grunt from Beerus.

 “You’ll have to be a bit more specific.”

Beerus hovered so that he could reach Whis’s neck, pulling the neckline of the robe down so he could kiss the skin beneath.

 “This still isn’t very clear. Do you want to use me or -?”

 “No. Just touch me.”

Whis placed the jar he was holding back in the cupboard and turned around, stroking Beerus’s jaw. “What’s this all about?”

 “Don’t ask questions.”

 “You’ll answer them,” Whis said. “When I have you wrapped around my finger.”

 “Maybe so.” He took Whis by the hand and led him out to the living area. He sat down on his bubbly sofa and undid the sash at his waist, instead using it to cover his eyes.

 “Rude,” Whis huffed. “Maybe I should let you get on with it yourself if you won’t even look at me.”

 “Please, Whis. Just let me pretend.”

Whis removed the sash so he could look Beerus in the eye. “Pretend I’m who? The Supreme Kai? Why don’t you just ask him yourself?”

Beerus groaned. “I just couldn’t get the words out earlier.”

 “Well then I’ll take you to him, or you can take care of yourself.” Whis sat in his chair and folded his arms.

 “Whiiiis... Don’t be like that. I’m sorry.” He reached over and put a hand on Whis’s knee.

Whis jerked his knee out of reach. “You know I don’t enjoy these kinds of favours.”

 “Alright, alright, I’ll give you a bit of love too.” Beerus tossed the sash aside.

Whis sighed. “You’ve already told me your motives. I’m not interested in anything else.”

Beerus climbed into Whis’s lap. “Are you jealous? You don’t like that I’m thinking about someone else?” He stroked Whis’s cheek. “I didn’t think you cared.”

 “I don’t.”

 “Oh, but you _do_.”

Whis turned his head. “I don’t. I could replace you tomorrow, no problem.”

 “Now, now, don’t be mean. You’d be devastated if I went. You certainly wouldn’t have helped me live this long if you didn’t enjoy having me around. I like having you around too.” Beerus kissed the cheek he’d been stroking. “But right now I want to play with my other life-long friend.”

Whis pulled Beerus to him and picked him up, carrying him back to the sofa. “Just remember that I’m your only truly life-long friend. You’ll have to put up with me forever, but as you said, you like having me around.” He smiled; small compliments are what he enjoyed most. “Now you’re more willing to look at me, we can continue.”

 “You know, when we were at the Tournament I got a chance to look at all your siblings up close. You’re definitely the best-looking.”

 “Don’t try too hard to find those compliments.” Whis began to relieve Beerus of his clothes; he’d rather they stayed clean.

 “I’m not trying too hard. It’s a simple truth. One I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you until now.”

 “I’ve been all ears these past few months.”

 “I wanted to save it for a time like now. Don’t you want me to take this off for you?” Beerus tugged at Whis’s clothes.

 “No, you can just keep stroking my ego.”

Finally Beerus felt a hand on his cock and let out a sigh. He’d been thinking about how to go about enticing Shin all day, and he’d built up quite a bit of frustration over it. Now he could finally get it all out.

 “I thought you weren’t going to pursue your other half? I thought you’d been there and done that?”

 “I know. But he’s so cute.”

 “I know. You always said that. I think you forgot at some point.”

 “No, I got bored.”

Whis nodded. “Yes, you do have a tendency to do that.”

 “But he’s changed a lot recently. Must have taken some balls to go after Buu. And you saw the way he treated me. He’s not the complete walk-over he used to be. I need to conquer that again, you know?”

 “I see. I think I understand it all now.”

 “ _Fuck._ Yeah, I do too.” He leaned in and kissed Whis. “I love you.”

 “Uh-huh. Does that have anything to do with where my hand is right now?”

 “No. Maybe. A little. But I mean, just talking to you, you help me make sense of things. I love that about you.”

 “And at the start you said ‘no questions.’ You’re full of shit sometimes, my lord.”

Beerus chuckled. “Shut up. I’m not very good at talking and feelings.”

 “Oh, you are,” Whis assured him. “You just need to have the right stimulus. So, what have you been enlightened about?”

Beerus put a finger to Whis’s lips. “No more serious talk. My mind can only think about one thing now.”

 “Of course. But please, feel free to dish out some more comments about how wonderful I am while you think of me.”

 “I love the way your lips match my skin.”

Whis rolled his eyes. “Very subtle.”

 “Well, I assumed you would – if you want to keep yourself clean.”

 “I hadn’t planned on keeping you straddling me this whole time. We’ll need to change position if you want that though.”

Beerus removed himself from Whis’s lap and laid on the sofa.

 “I don’t think so. This thing isn’t long enough for me.” He pulled Beerus into a sitting position and kneeled on the floor, between Beerus’s legs.

 “This works for me,” Beerus said. This was his favourite way for someone to suck his dick; he liked how it made him feel more like he had the upper hand. He reclined back and watched as Whis looked up at him as he took him in his mouth. God he forgot how much he enjoyed Whis’s touch. The angel had become extremely proficient at providing him with a good time. Not even he could remember his favourite spots like Whis could.

 “Whis, you’re fucking fantastic, you know.” He knew how much Whis would enjoy hearing him sing his praises. “I feel so fucking good. Because of you.”

Then Whis began to make noises, like moans, as he sucked. Beerus knew it was all fake, and that Whis felt nothing like he sounded, but that didn’t make any difference to his dick. All his dick heard was good things coming from Whis. Beerus couldn’t keep up his stream of compliments as it was quickly dissolving into breathy profanities and ‘Whis,’ mixed in with a few moans.

Whis knew exactly when Beerus was about to come, watching the way he arched his back moments before. Not a drop was spilled. He sat next to Beerus, the god latching onto his side, always a cuddler afterwards.

 “Happy?” Whis asked.

 “Mmm. You know, I didn’t even think of Shin in the end. Just you.”

Whis couldn’t help but smile. Of course he performed so well that Beerus had no choice but to forget about other distractions. “Tell me about your epiphany then.”

 “I realised I’m not as sappy as I thought I was,” Beerus said. “I was getting a bit worried, you know. I thought that maybe I was actually having feelings. But no, I just want to bend him to my will and have my way with him. To prove I still can.”

 “Oh. And here I thought that you were being genuine…”

 “Well, I do want us to be friends like the others universes. But I thought it was deeper… But it’s not. Good. I’m fucking relieved. I think I can achieve what I need to now.”

Whis stroked Beerus’s head. “I’m glad. That you’ve figured it out and that it’s nothing more. I’m not sure you two being more than friends is a good idea. Could be a bit strange in the long run. Not sure if Grand Zeno would approve.”

 “He doesn’t have to know.”

 “He knows everything. Eventually.”

Beerus grimaced. “I hope not."


	5. Supreme Cute

 “Well, about time – oh shit. Shin?!” Beerus rushed over to the pair that had appeared.

Both Shin and Kibito looked a bit roughed up, the pair bent over, catching their breaths. As much as Beerus liked seeing Shin like this, he was deeply troubled that it wasn’t himself who had put him in such a state.

 “Oi, Whis! Get over here and help these two out.”

 “We’re fine, really.” Shin stood up straight and brushed his clothes as if that would make him look more presentable.

Beerus brushed his thumb over the cut above Shin’s eyebrow. “You don’t like fine. What happened?”

 “The locals weren’t as docile as they appeared,” Shin said. “Turns out we’d walked straight into a nest, and they really didn’t like that. Unfortunately they haven’t developed the skills to understand we meant no harm.”

 “Take me there.”

 “No. I’m not having you destroy them.”

Beerus huffed. “Why not? They should be punished for harming you. Don’t they have any sense of who their gods are?”

 “Evidently not. Anyway, my apologies for my late arrival. Please wait while I sort myself out.” Shin walked into the temple with Kibito in tow.

 “He’s really getting out there these says,” Old Kai said behind them. “I think it’s a good thing.”

 “Yes, it should be encouraged,” Whis agreed.

 “As long as he isn’t coming back like _that_ every time!” Beerus was uncharacteristically concerned. He didn’t believe Shin was in life-threatening danger, but still, something rubbed him up the wrong way. Maybe he would have to force Whis to train the kai and make him more prepared for the wide world.

 “Oh no,” Old Kai said with a wave. “As you’ve seen yourself, he goes out to friendlier places too.”

Beerus was suddenly reminded of that offer he hadn’t taken up yet. “Whis, we’re going shopping with Shin soon. Remind me to decide a date for it.”

He was sorely disappointed when Shin came out in his usual attire, having been hopeful that he might slip into something more casual being at home.

 “This is the _Sacred_ World of the Kais. It doesn’t stop being that if you live here.”

 “Urgh, what a drag. It’s like you’re always working or something.”

 “Well, yes. Being the Supreme Kai is a full-time job, just as I imagine being the God of Destruction is, no?” Beerus looked a bit sheepish. “I never see you wear anything less formal unless you’ve just got out of bed.”

 “I like my clothes,” Beerus said.

 “Likewise.”

Beerus raised his brows. “But there’s so much of them. And so stiff. What even is the point of that orange sash?”

 “It helps keep everything in place. But if you’re going to nit-pick, then what’s the purpose of this?” Shin pulled at the black sash that hung down from Beerus’s waist.

 “It’s a status symbol, duh.”

 “Yes, but it’s not functional, is it? _My_ sash is at least.”

 “Just because you don’t have something cool to show you’re the Supreme Kai of this universe.”

Shin flicked his potara. “Excuse you? These are extremely cool seeing as they do quite a bit more than a piece of fabric.”

 “Yeah, but all Supreme Kai have those. Only Whis and I have these particular set of markings that show we belong to Universe 7.”

 “I always saw those as a sign that said ‘if lost return to the angel with matching pattern.’”

Beerus looked around at Whis in disbelief. “Isn’t he a bit feisty today?”

 “I personally thought it made us look more intimidating to match, but I suppose it might have made it easier for our superiors to monitor us if we went for a walk about,” Whis said. “But please, continue arguing over clothing; it is quite enjoyable to watch.”

 “Feisty?” Shin asked. “I’m merely defending my decision to remain formal at all times and pointing out that you do the same, even if you like to think you don’t.”

 “And I’m saying that’s because my clothes are clearly the superior design choice. Anyway, I started this all in the first place because I was reminded that you said you’d take me someplace fashionable so I could dress you up.”

 “You’re just to give opinions,” Shin said, aware that others were watching now. “When would you like to go?”

 “Whenever. Maybe tomorrow. I’ll get Whis to pack snacks.”

 “I think you’ll find their cuisine is good. I’ll come and pick you up then.”

Beerus leaned forward and whispered to Shin, “Will you be wearing something like…?”

 “Yes, of course.”

He nodded. “Good. I’ll be prepared then.”

 “For what?”

 “For the God of Cute to visit me tomorrow.”

Shin’s face went red almost immediately.

 

**ooo**

 

 “I love this! This fabric is gorgeous. Oh and the colours are perfect too!” Whis was fusing over the recently arrived kai.

 “You’ll like the planet then. It’s full of stuff like this.”

 “Oh? I’m coming?”

Beerus landed beside them, smiling when he saw Shin in his off-the shoulder jumper. “Perfect. Yes, Whis, you’re coming too.”

 “And here I thought I was getting rid of you for a few hours.”

 “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m dressing you up too.”

Whis seemed rather pleased by this turn of events. “Oh! If I’d known I would have dug deep into my wardrobe for the occasion! Is there still time?”

 “No!” Beerus said before Shin could possibly say yes. The last thing they needed was to encourage Whis to open his wardrobe full of unworn things he’d picked up over the years. “Let’s go.”

The place they arrived in was full of colour, but it was soft, all pastels.

 “You two fit right in,” Beerus said.

 “As if.” Whis looked around at the people in the street. “I’m wearing far too much black right now.”

Shin took them both by the hand and began to walk down the street. “Don’t worry, they’re used to a couple of strange-looking tourists.”

 “What’s that smell?” Beerus peered around, trying to find the source.

 “Donuts and waffles are really popular at the moment. This whole city seems to have quite a sweet tooth.” Shin pointed out vendors with carts dotted about.

 “I want one.” He began to weave through the crowds.

 “Beerus – wait!” Shin grabbed his hand and placed a small blue sphere in it.

 “What’s this?”

 “You’ll need to pay for one.”

Beerus frowned at the sphere, never having been one to pay for anything. He could just say his name and have people give him whatever he wanted, but for Shin’s sake he decided he wouldn’t make a scene. Chances are the poor soul at the cart wouldn’t even know who he was if he said. It was even more appalling when he realised he had to wait for the couple in front of him to finish being served, but it did give him the chance to realise how different his life was from Shin’s. Had he visited this planet alone he would have gone straight to whoever claimed to be the ruler, or the strongest, and had them give him a personal tour and the best dishes the planet had to offer. Yet here was Shin visiting a random street, _paying_ for things, and meeting no one in particular. It was a real novelty.

He returned to Whis and Shin with a waffle slathered in some sweet syrup.

 “Didn’t you get us some?” Whis asked.

 “You didn’t ask,” Beerus said. “Besides, how was I to know how much I could buy with one blue orb? I wasn’t going to look a fool by asking for more than I could afford.”

 “The prices were right there.”

 “I’m not blind, but yellow orbs are not the same as blue ones. We can’t all be gifted with your angelic knowledge of currency, Whis.”

Shin coughed and began to lead them onwards once more. Behind him Beerus let Whis have a bite of his waffle as they walked.

The store Shin took them too was large and very tidy, but most aesthetically pleasing of all was the fact that it was arranged by colour.

 “Right, well I know where Whis is going.” Beerus pointed towards the shades of purple.

 “Why, how did you know?”

 “I know you’ve always been disappointed you didn’t get a purple robe like Universe 10.” Beerus believed all the angels secretly wanted to wear purple to match their eyes. “But you,” he turned to Shin, “Should wear something like pink or yellow.”

 “I said I’d let you decide.”

 “I think I’ll try and match the potara. It’s a good place to start.”

 “As I said, you can choose. But I would like to see you pick something for yourself too.”

Beerus didn’t respond, instead marching towards the yellow section of the store. Once there he realised he didn’t quite know where to start. Should he pick lots of different things? Should he try and pick the best combination first time? Shopping was hard… He began to prowl between the rows of clothes, looking for something that caught his eye. Shin was following him, but not yet commenting on his lack of choosing.

Then he saw exactly what he wanted Shin to wear. The model standing atop a display was wearing it. A top that wasn’t just off one shoulder, but two! The model also wore another shirt underneath – he could add another colour there. He picked up one of the tops from the rack and thrust it at Shin.

 “I think this might be a bit too big,” Shin said, holding it up.

 “Oh, right…” Beerus realised that he understood nothing about clothes sizes on any planet, let alone this one with numbers that didn’t seem to indicate any unit of measurement he’d encountered. “Well, you find the size while I continue searching for things.”

Soon Beerus had figured it out, and he was quite enjoying picking up things, watching as Shin tried to piece together the outfits. He was going all over the store, realising that he should totally be picking up random accessories too; this was an opportunity he should make the most of.

 “How’s it going?” he asked Whis, who was now in the white section of the store.

 “I think I’ve found something amazing. I can’t wait to show you.”

Beerus narrowed his eyes. “Did you get something for me?”

 “Yes, but the amazing thing is for me. You’ll like your thing though, I’m sure of it.”

Beerus tried to peek into the basket Whis was holding, but there was a lot in it. “Come to the fitting room and let’s see then. I’m pretty much done picking things for Shin.” His last item was a pair of socks which he picked up and threw at the kai.

The fitting rooms were spacious, fitting with the rest of the store. Beerus was able to sit outside the cubicles, passing things through to Shin. The pink tank top, then the yellow off-both shoulders top. A yellow choker with a bow on it, and the white knee-high socks… Ah yes, and the pink wispy skirt.

Shin stepped out, still looking back in the mirror to see where the skirt ended. It was almost knee-length, but he wasn’t used to having any part of his legs bare like this, so he worried. Beerus grinned at the sight. Perfection. Just like he’d imagined it, but… He turned the choker so the bow was to the side. _Now_ it was perfect.

 “I love it,” Beerus said. “This is what you’re wearing for the rest of the day.” The other bits he’d picked out in case something hadn’t worked didn’t matter. He didn’t want Shin to take this off.

 “Are you sure it looks okay?”

 “It looks great.”

Whis walked out and beamed at the kai. “Wow, you really do look good! I must admit, I didn’t think Lord Beerus had much of a fashion sense, but I was wrong.”

 “Hey!” Then Beerus noticed what Whis was wearing. “Wha…” Whis had really gone for something different to what he usually wore. The white trousers were three-quarter length, paired with white stiletto heels – as if he needed to be any taller! But it was the choice of purple garment that really made Beerus stop in his tracks. It was knitted, but why would you wear something knitted if there were no sleeves and no back?! The turtleneck just added more confusion. This _thing_ was made for when your front was experiencing winter, but your back was in summer. Still, it looked absolutely _great_ on Whis.

 “You look concerned, my lord.”

Beerus finally came to his senses. “I can’t understand that… Well, it’s not a jumper, but it wants to be. Do you plan on wearing that outside?”

 “If you think it’s good. Otherwise I have other choices.”

 “Yeah, it’s good…” Actually, he wanted one for Shin too. Why didn’t he see this? Well maybe he did and dismissed it immediately for its rubbish design. He had been a fool. Here he was happy to have got Shin into an outfit showing bare shoulders and a bit of thigh, but Whis had outdone him. God, he could have had Shin bare-backed too, along with everything else he had achieved. He would have to come back another time and give it to Shin as a gift in the future. For today it wouldn’t do to have them both match.

 “I don’t expect you’ll wear it now, but I got you this.” Whis held up a fluffy blue robe. “Feel it.”

It was softer than he’s imagined possible. Immediately he slipped it on over his clothes. “Good find. I love it.”

 “I told you you would, although I thought it more for lounging around back home.”

Beerus looked at Shin. “Is this fashionable?”

Shin shrugged. “If you want it to be. I mean, it’s probably an improvement on walking around in your regular clothes.”

 “Right. Let’s pay whoever for these things and grab some proper food. That waffle is a distant memory now.”

 

**oo**

 

 “I had a lot of fun today,” Shin said. “It was like we were just normal beings for once. I enjoyed that feeling.”

 “You’re right. I’d like to do it again some time. But next time, I pick the restaurant.”

 “Well, I enjoyed it.”

 “It’s not a proper meal without meat – hey, Whis! Roast me something, will you?”

 “Fine, next time you pick. You can pick what ‘normal’ thing we do too.”

 “I’ll ask Goku what kind of lame stuff he does. You should wear that next time. I think it helps with the ‘normal’ feeling.”

 “You may have a point. I’ll decide when you tell me where we’re going and what we’re doing.” Shin put a hand up to wave.

 “Wait. You never said if you liked it – the outfit.”

 “Oh.” Shin looked down. “I wasn’t sure at first, but I do. Skirts are quite freeing in a way I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy. Perhaps I just enjoy the novelty of them. But thank you for choosing this.”

 “Thanks for wearing it. See you soon.”

 “Farewell.” Shin clapped and disappeared.

Beerus zoomed inside. “WHIS!” He ground to a halt outside the kitchen door. “You asshole!” He flung the door open.

Whis cocked a brow. “What did I do?”

Beerus frowned to see Whis standing there in his usual attire, complete with apron. “You’re not even wearing it! You totally one-upped my outfit I chose for Shin! Next time _I’m_ picking your outfit so I can’t have you better dressed than him.”

 “It’s not my fault if I look flawless in everything. But thank you for the indirect compliment.”

 “I wanted to take that abomination off you right there,” Beerus said as he finally stepped into the kitchen. “It was ridiculous. How could you make such a stupid top look so fucking good? And the simple trousers you paired with it? _Urgh_. It drew all the attention exactly where you wanted it. The colour scheme was on-point and your halo was the perfect accessory!”

 “Well, obviously I do take it into consideration when planning. But my, I never knew you paid such attention to details like this. Would you like my opinion on your ensemble for the Supreme Kai?”

Beerus certainly did not want to hear Whis’s critique. “Of course.”

 “I thought it was a bit too busy. Perhaps it was to do with the colours. I didn’t think the pink and yellow went well with his lavender skin. I can see you tried to match the potara, but the yellow was too pale to convey that. Maybe if the pink hadn’t been so overpowering it might have been more obvious. I also think the pink under-top was unnecessary – it would have been better to keep the pink to the lower half. But the styles were definitely cute. The skirt was very cute in design, I liked the flow. I thought the choker was overkill.”

 “Ok, that’s enough,” Beerus said. “I clearly have much to learn, oh-wise-and-knowledgeable fashion angel. But why did you say you liked it in the shop?”

 “I did like it. It looked very cute on the Supreme Kai as his youthful features made him able to pull it off. And as I just said, most of the pieces were good choices, just not their colours. Besides, I could see you really liked it, so I agreed so he would continue to wear it.”

Beerus gave a ‘hmph’ and turned to leave. “You should wear that top again some time.”

 “Oh? I was under the impression you never wanted to see it again. Or did you enjoy looking at me that much?”

 “I get bored looking at the same thing over and over.” Beerus made a swift exit. Whis didn’t have to tease him like this – he surely had already figured out Beerus was quite taken by the sweater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While editing this I realised that this is how I think Beerus looked in his blue fluffy robe: https://teamchampa.tumblr.com/post/159135675539/seeing-a-cute-outfit-online-and-having-your


	6. Cry With a Smile

Beerus had fallen asleep, using Shin’s back as a pillow this time. Perhaps he shouldn’t have bored Beerus trying to show him things in his crystal ball. But they were interesting things! Well, he thought so. With Beerus asleep, he could check up on things that were a bit more mundane. The next coordination meeting wasn’t for a few centuries, but it was best to start early on listing planets he was willing to let go. He hated that part of the meeting the most, but it had to be done – balance had to be maintained. Of course, Beerus also came armed with a list of people he wanted to destroy. That was the difference between their lists; Shin picked based on the whole planet, Beerus picked based on one person he met and didn’t like.

Some planets he watched were full of war. They were tearing themselves apart. Some would destroy themselves before the next meeting and he wouldn’t feel bad listing an empty husk to be finished off by Beerus. Others would still be fighting it out and he would suggest they put an end to it, and Beerus would agree, but he would go down there personally and enjoy every last minute of destruction. To make up the quota he searched for empty planets; those that had never gained the atmosphere to support life, and those that had had primitive life forms that hadn’t survived.

Shin checked in with his favourite planet; it was the first planet he had ever created when he first became a Supreme Kai. The planet was covered in plants of all kinds, and he sometimes went there to walk among the interesting foliage. He didn’t tell people about it; it was his secret place that he tried to protect. He didn’t want it to be invaded by other life forms, nor did he want Beerus to class it as a worthless planet because it only had plants on it.

Still he looked closer, into the water. The plants here were just as diverse as those above ground.

But there! Could it be?!

He zoomed in closer and closer. His breath caught as he saw movement.

There!

A tiny organism. Not in any way a stationary plant, but something that was moving. It was simply wiggling one end like a tail against the gentle flow of water. Had he missed something last time he’d looked? How long had this been here? Were there more? Were there other kinds? He didn’t search immediately; he was still so taken by this simple creature. He wanted to watch whatever it was doing – did it know what it was doing? Did it have a purpose?

 “Are you crying?”

Shin hadn’t even noticed that Beerus had moved off him and come to lay beside him, staring into the ball.

 “What?” He touched his cheek and found that it was wet. “Maybe.”

Beerus peered closer at the ball. “What’s so sad about this thing? The fact it’s so pitiful?”

 “You know, sometimes people cry of happiness,” Shin said.

 “Fine. What’s so great about this thing? It’s not very interesting.”

Shin pulled the ball to his chest, not wanting to turn it off and lose his creature. “Nothing. I’m very happy it’s there is all.” He couldn’t help but smile as he said it.

Beerus was delighted by Shin’s smile. He didn’t get to see a smile that genuine very often. “Let me see it then.”

 “No. It’s not interesting.” He didn’t want to show anyone. This was _his_.

Beerus reached out to take the ball. “Come on, I wanna know now.”

Shin tried to hold tight to it, but Beerus overpowered him with ease. “No!” In that instant he cut the link to the planet and the ball was blank once more. Shin’s face dropped. “No!” he yelled again, realising he’d lost his creature in the seas of that planet.

 “Why’d you do that? Why didn’t you want me to see?”

Shin hung his head in defeat. “You saw it already. There wasn’t anything else to see.”

 “You really were crying over that thing? I thought I was missing something. Help me understand why it was so good.”

He didn’t want to tell Beerus in case he wanted to go there or worse. To avoid the question he just took the ball back and tried to look into it again.

 “Hey.” Beerus nudged him. “Why are you ignoring me?”

 “Go back to sleep or something.”

 “ _Oh?_ Seems like I’ve hit a nerve.” He sat behind Shin and pulled him into an embrace, resting his head on Shin’s shoulder. He sat quietly as he watched Shin searching through the water for anything moving.

He was so mad at himself for cutting the link. His rage clouded his ability to look into the ball and find what he sought. Maybe he was going too quickly that he was missing it? Maybe he had long passed any place where one would be? He pushed the ball away and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them.

With a deep breath he reminded himself that he had definitely seen what he had seen, that his planet was progressing little by little. Now he could defend his planet against destruction due to ‘being boring’. He almost wanted to go and get a time ring to see how it would progress.

Beerus was rubbing Shin’s back. “Are you alright? I don’t often see you like this.”

Shin nodded, he was actually feeling great, even if his joy had been messed up slightly. “You know, when you get to know a friend well you see sides of them you don’t usually see. That’s what it’s all about. I don’t have to show you the formal side I show everyone else all the time – and I know you don’t want that.”

 “I don’t. I want to see this side of you, but I want to know if you’re okay because I don’t know if this is good or bad. You said you were happy, but you seem distressed.”

 “I’m fine, Beerus. I’m just…annoyed at my inability to do something simple. As usual.”

 “Oi, don’t put yourself down like that. I don’t like hearing it. Only _I_ can put you down – I’m joking! Don’t cry again!”

Shin wiped his eyes, getting rid of all the tears. “Thanks for caring.”

 “But you’re not going to tell me what all this was about?”

 “I don’t really want to. That planet is very important to me,” Shin said, wondering if he should explain it. After all, Beerus was trying to be an understanding friend these days. “It’s just –“

Beerus placed a finger to Shin’s lips. “Don’t. You don’t want to. I’m not that bothered about forcing you to tell me about this little wiggling thing in the sea. You know, you’ve got to stand up to me and say no sometimes. I know you have, but recently I’ve noticed you’ve become a bit of a pushover again. I mean, did you really want me to use you as a pillow today?”

Shin shrugged. “I didn’t mind. I…” He decided not to continue that sentence. “Anyway, yes, I will keep my little wiggling friend to myself thank you.”

Beerus dipped Shin backwards so he could look at him properly. “You didn’t mind? That’s all? What else were you gonna say?”

 “Nothing. Isn’t it okay to just not mind something?”

Beerus peered closer. “Hmm.”

Shin pushed his face away. “Stop.”

 “Fine.” Beerus pulled the kai close again. “I just wanted to know your opinion. I mean, you might really dislike it and not be telling me for some reason.”

 “I don’t dislike it.” He didn’t disclose more, but the sigh he felt on his neck made him rethink that decision. “I enjoy it – assuming it’s not an awkward position and I’m comfortable.”

Beerus was grinning like a Cheshire cat; this was the kind of approval he craved. “You’re not just saying that, are you?”

 “N-no. I… I really do like it.” God was he glad he was no longer looking at Beerus. He could feel the embarrassment in his face right now. “I like the way you hold me. I don’t get to enjoy that feeling very often.”

That hit Beerus with a feeling he wasn’t sure he knew how to process. Was he sorry for the kai? Was he happy to be fulfilling this need? Or was he glad that he had Whis to hold him when he felt like it? He buried his face into Shin’s shoulder and muttered something very cheesy that sounded a lot like, “I’m here for you whenever.”

 

**ooo**

 

Now when they met it was common practice to greet each other with a hug. Both smiled at the sight of one another, and felt that finally they were achieving the kind of friendship they had been seeking.

Beerus didn’t let go of the hug as he sniffed at the kai. “What’s this? You smell amazing.”

 “I went to a very interesting planet the other day. The oils they use smell amazing, and apparently are quite long-lasting.”

Beerus continued to smell around the kai, completely taken by the aroma. “What did you do, bathe in it?”

 “Well, yes. We were at one of their spas.”

 “Oh? Shopping trips, spa trips? Is this what Supreme Kais do all day?”

 “Just like you spend a lot of your time abroad eating, yes. We Supreme Kais create these planets, so surely it’s our pleasure to go and enjoy them?”

 “I suppose. Who went with you? You said ‘we.’” Secretly Beerus was a little jealous that he had not yet started to get invites to Shin’s outings. Maybe he should invite Shin to the next banquet held on Earth to get the ball rolling.

 “Just Kibito. Just as you would take Whis along.”

 “Not true. I take Whis with me because I have to. He’s my ride as well as handler of bags among other things. What does Kibito offer?”

 “Company. I’d much rather visit places with someone else. Are you saying you would rather leave Whis behind?”

Beerus wanted to point out that Shin didn’t have to choose Kibito as his travel partner, but maybe Shin wasn’t yet comfortable with the idea of going out with Beerus alone like that. “No, Whis is great. Remember, we’ve been together since before you were born. But, that was something I was meaning to ask; do you like Kibito?” Beerus realised how rude he sounded, but it was said now.

 “Of course. I value him as much as you value Whis. Maybe even more.”

Beerus wasn’t going to fight over how much he loved Whis more than Shin would ever love Kibito, and how Whis was _clearly_ the superior attendant. “Okay, but why did you de-fuse then? That old fart is still fused with that witch.”

 “Well he’s opposed to using the dragon balls for something so trivial, especially as that is just an aesthetic fusion. Old Kai is still himself, having completely swallowed up the witch’s personality. But with Kibito it was different. He is a Supreme Kai after all, just a lower-ranked one. It was a bit more divided in the headspace because of that. And with the two of us fused we only had Old Kai to talk to. We came to the conclusion that two was better than one.” Shin smiled at the memory of being Kibito Kai. “Although I do miss the height, it is better this way. It’s better to be one person than two. I can understand why Goku… Well, why Vegeta doesn’t enjoy it.”

 “That’s a simple thing to understand; Vegeta wants to gain recognition for what he alone achieves. He doesn’t achieve if he relies on fusion with Goku.”

 “Fine, I will give you another example. Majin Buu. You’ve met him now. He’s childish – friendly, but selfish. His ‘fusion’ with the Grand Supreme Kai is difficult to watch sometimes. I can see that kind, gentle soul sometimes, but other times I see Buu for what he really is. It must be such a strange way to live. I know his friends find him extremely difficult at times.”

 “Yeah, but you and Kibito are quite similar in temperament.”

 “Yes, but my point is that we are still different enough to produce this kind of split personality. It was never very obvious as Kibito’s side always deferred to mine, but that mental challenge was always there. Like I was being judged for my thoughts and decisions. I hated it. I’d much rather have been in Kibito’s position in the fusion.”

Beerus nodded with understanding. “Makes me wonder if me and Whis would be able to hack it.” He fingered Shin’s potara. “I wonder if these would be permanent on us. I bet no one’s ever tried.”

Shin pushed Beerus’s hand away. “Somehow I feel like the last thing our universe needs is to draw attention to itself by having the God of Destruction and his angel fuse. Although the idea is fascinating to debate about – you’d surely be one of the most powerful beings in existence. Would you go on a mad rampage without a guardian to stop you? Or would that side of Whis restrict you? Would you lose any powers? Oh, I could go on.”

 “You can talk to me all day about it, as long as I can sit here and inhale whatever the fuck you’ve been bathing in.” Beerus pulled Shin into his lap, having realised he’d wasted precious time by standing there listening to all this stuff about fusion. “What even is this?”

 “A concoction of flowers and fruits. To be honest, I can’t remember the exact details.”

Beerus leaned in and licked Shin’s jaw. “Disappointing. You don’t taste anything like you smell.”

Shin rubbed this jaw. “Good. I would rather not have you licking me. Tell me, what’s the thing you dislike about Whis the most?”

 “Easy. His hair. That bastard is tall enough already. Why does he have to go and make himself taller like that?”

Shin frowned, not having been expecting such an answer. “I was trying to get you to talk about personality clashes seeing as you’ve said I can continue hypothesising about your fusion.”

 “Alright, but first I want you to tell me what you hate about Kibito.”

 “Sometimes he undermines me. I don’t hate it – sometimes he does have a reason and makes me reconsider things.”

Beerus hummed. “I would say the same for Whis, but it’s kinda his job to keep me in line like that. I don’t know… It’s not like we ever fall out over anything more than who ate the last strawberry.”

 “Are you really that close?”

 “As I said, we’ve been together longer than you can comprehend. Whatever may have once annoyed me has long been forgotten, or I’ve come to see the meaning behind it. Sometimes we’re mean to each other, but it’s all mutual. I deserve to get some shit off him occasionally, so I don’t begrudge him. You kais just don’t know how to have fun like we do. You’re all too proper about everything.”

 “You can complain all you want, but I doubt we’ll ever change.” Shin leaned back into Beerus. “Except when I’m with you.”

 

**oo**

 

 “My, my, you sure are taking your time,” Whis noted after Shin left.

 “Shut up. There’s no need to rush.”

 “How unlike you. Is it really a difficult conquest?”

 “No. I just don’t want to spoil the goods just yet. Say, are you enjoying this?”

 “Immensely,” Whis replied. “I only lament the fact that my usual betting partner is part of the bet. Perhaps I should get in touch with Kibito.”

 “Somehow I don’t think he would be best pleased by this kind of bet. You know how those kais are.”

 “I suppose you’re right.”

 “You can still bet with me. I promise I won’t rig it.”

Whis laughed. “ _Of course_. Actually, I have placed a bet, but I shouldn’t give you ideas you won’t use.”

 “Please, do tell.”

 “I don’t know when you intended to return to that fashionable planet, but my bet is that the day you present him with that ‘abomination’ is the day you’ll make your move.”

 “Oh? Now that is an idea. God, it’s so simple. It’s almost too easy once you have someone wearing something like that.” He smirked at Whis, remembering a night not too long ago.

Whis cocked a brow. “Really? Had you forgotten? I was almost certain you’d been testing an idea out on me.”

Beerus slipped his hands around Whis’s waist. “No, I simply couldn’t get the image of you in that out of my head. It was like having you walking around naked.” A hand travelled up Whis’s back and massaged between the shoulder blades. “Presenting yourself like that… How could I not? Of course, no one else understood the significance, but that just made it all the more tantalising for me.”

Whis frowned. “Maybe you should stop sexualising my back like that. I don’t think it’s good for you.”

 “Maybe you should stop moaning when I touch it then.”

 “Yes, just like right now.”

 “Shut up, you know what I meant. Stupid layers, stopping me from proving my point.”


	7. Training

The sound of people training was like a piercing alarm. Whis could spend a lot of time trying to rouse him, and even his detonating hourglasses could fail (hence setting several of them), but if someone was training? His ears pricked up immediately and he was awake at once.

He woke with a scowl. He’d told Whis not to bring the saiyans here until he said he didn’t mind having them back. At the moment he was enjoying Shin’s company too much to have that pair running around ruining his peace and quiet.

As he stood on one of his many balconies, ready to yell for Whis, he realised this was not what he’d thought. The breath he’d taken for the almighty shout was exhaled in relief. No, this was much more interesting. The figure Whis was sparring with was not orange, nor wearing the white armour he identified Vegeta by. No, this figure was small and someone he could spot a mile off these days.

Beerus leaned forward and rested on the bannister, watching the way they almost danced around. He wondered if this was the first time this was happening. Had Shin requested this? When? What if Whis had been slipping away to the world of the kais and training him there? He continued to ponder, a smile on his face, happy that Shin was finally taking an interest in combat.

When they stopped, Beerus realised he was still in his night robe and rushed to change before going to meet them. He had considered interrupting, but he didn’t want to deter Shin from continuing. Once he was suitably dressed he took a stroll outside, pretending that he was yet unaware of his visitor.

 “Oh, my lord, you’re awake.” Whis seemed genuinely surprised for once.

 “So I am. Looks like you two were having fun without me.”

Shin got to his feet and stretched. “I wouldn’t say that.”

Beerus cocked a brow. “How strange. I was expecting you to pretend you hadn’t been training. I was meant to walk over here and you were meant to be flustered, trying to conceal it.” He scratched his head as he thought it through again.

 “Sorry to disappoint you, but I noticed you watching.”

Beerus looked round at Whis. “He’s more perceptive than you.”

 “Perhaps he shouldn’t have been distracted by looking out for you and he might have landed a hit.”

 “As if. How long have you two been at this anyway?”

 “Not long,” Whis said. “About an hour.”

 “I meant in general, or is this actually the first day?”

 “This is only the second session. We planned to train on the Sacred Planet of the Kais, but as it says, the planet is sacred, and I suggested we move it here so we could breathe a bit easier.”

Beerus looked confused. “Right, sure.” He wasn’t going to open his big mouth and poke at the holes in their reasoning, because this way he had front row seats to watching Shin train. “Anyway, do continue.”

 “We were taking a break, actually. It’s not easy, as you well know.” Whis topped up the glass he’d given Shin earlier.

 “Good. Time for breakfast then.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “It’s perfect.” Beerus laid out the abominable sweater out on the table, admiring his choice. “Now let’s never do an hour-long trip like that again.”

 “Now, now, it was only 54 minutes.”

Beerus groaned. “Yeah, and we had to do it twice.”

Whis supressed a laugh. “Well, it was worth it, right?”

 “Oh yes. But don’t think I’m trying to help you win your own bet… Hey… Is that…?” Beerus left the sweater forgotten on the table as he rushed out to see who had just arrived. His face dropped and he stood there frozen momentarily as all his plans fell apart.

Why was Shin here now? He wasn’t meant to be here now. Why, Beerus himself had only just come back. This was their ‘off-day’ - their day to do something not with each other. Why was he here with _company?_

Beerus regained his senses and flew down to where Shin stood.

 “You!” He pointed at Goku first. “You!!” Vegeta was next to be pointed at. Finally he bent down and pressed a nail into Shin’s forehead. “ _You!_ ”

Shin frowned and swatted Beerus’s hand away.

 “ _What_ is this? Why are _these two **here**_?!”

Shin took Beerus by the hand and led him away from the saiyans, making sure there was enough distance before whispering frantically. “I couldn’t get rid of them. I’m really sorry, but they were adamant about coming. Apparently you – or Whis – haven’t visited for ages.”

 “It’s not fucking ages. Like a few months tops.”

 “That _is_ ages to Earthlings. They wouldn’t stop pestering me, so in a fit of annoyance I said yes. And they held me to my word. You know how Goku is.”

Beerus sighed. “Why were you even hanging out with these idiots? You don’t even appreciate Earth food like I do. Or have you come bearing gifts?”

 “I went to see Gohan. What’s that face for? Stop, it was – it was just to see how things were after the tournament. A long overdue visit on my behalf. But, of course, Goku is quite sensitive to ki. He knew I was on the planet possibly as soon as I arrived.”

 “I’ll have to destroy my planet and make a new one the day he learns to pick up my ki. I’m surprised he doesn’t just turn up to yours more often and make requests like this.”

 “Luckily we’re not that close. But obviously Gohan was his route into my presence. And of course somehow Vegeta got wind of this. I’m not sure how. But they’re here now. Please forgive me.”

Beerus placed a hand on Shin’s shoulder, gripping him tightly. “Oh yes, I’ll forgive you. But you’ll be training alongside them.”

 “W-what? I can’t train with _them_.”

 “You brought them here, so you’ll have to deal with your new sparring partners. I wouldn’t want you to get out of practice just when you’re making progress.”

 “Beerus –“

 “Shh. I need you here to replace all the food they’re about to consume while they’re here.” He turned to look at Whis who had arrived silently during their exchange. “I’m assuming you’ll agree to train them.”

 “Naturally. As much as I enjoy training you two, the saiyans provide such novel fun. Even if you two trained together I doubt you’d ever achieve the hilarity that Goku and Vegeta manage to. Why, I could watch them argue all day.”

Beerus straightened himself and walked back to where he’d left the saiyans. “Alright, boys, you know the deal: payment up front.”

Vegeta put both hands forward, displaying a pot that resembled some of the instant ramen he had tried. “Lord Beerus, please accept this instant rice pot!”

 “Oh? How interesting.”

 “It’s curry flavour.”

Beerus called for Whis to bring a kettle. While waiting for it to boil he turned to Goku. “And you?”

 “I brought dessert!” Goku had several coloured pots. “I like to pretend it’s a healthy snack.”

Beerus took them and looked closer. It seemed to be fruit suspended in what he could only assume was jelly. He was eager to try it, but the sound of the kettle made him reconsider. Everyone watched as Beerus tasted the offerings, letting Whis try some too, seeing as Vegeta had foolishly only brought one pot with him.

 “The rice pot is inferior to the ramen,” Beerus said. “However, I like the convenience still, and the fact I can eat these when I fancy a change from noodles. It passes. The fruit in jelly is a great idea. I liked the crunch of the apple paired with the smooth jelly. I want you to bring more flavours next time. Enjoy your training.”

Beerus got up and began to fly away. The sound of a happy Goku could be heard behind him. He touched down on the balcony and let out a sigh. Moments later someone else stood beside him.

 “I told you you’re to train with them,” Beerus said to Shin. “I meant it.”

 “And do you mean to keep me here with them all week?”

 “Obviously you’re free to go when training is over, but yes, I expect you to return and atone for this sin.”

Shin stared up at Beerus. “I thought you liked having them over?”

 “Yeah, but I’m busy having _you_ over at the moment.”

 “You can have more than one person over at a time, you know.”

Beerus huffed. “I know, but you might have noticed I’m not very sociable. Sure, I’ll enjoy a good party, but having people over in _my_ home? I hate it. Especially when those people can’t just leave.”

 “As the Destroyer I’m sure you can just say no to them.”

 “No… I…” Beerus wouldn’t have said this aloud to anyone other than Shin, “I feel like I owe them something after the Tournament. They did so well, and helped give _us_ a good name again. I…feel bad saying no.”

Shin nodded. “So you understand why I felt compelled to bring them when they asked?”

 “No, you’re just a walk-over. Now go and throw some punches or I’ll find some other way to punish you.”

Shin started to leave, but drifted back, a reluctant look on his face. “Um, actually… I was wondering if maybe _we_ could spar – but like…in a nice way.”

 “What the fuck does that mean?”

 “I mean actually train me rather than beat the shit out of me. I think I’ll gain more against you than I would against the saiyans.”

 “Alright. I won’t beat the shit out of you – god I love it when you swear, you know. I’ll actually teach you some stuff rather than using Whis’s method of letting you figure it out yourself.”

Shin blushed due to his slip-up; maybe he was spending too much time around Beerus and picking up his bad speech habits. They flew down and picked a spot suitably far away from where Whis was training the other two.

 “Right, let’s see what Whis has managed to elucidate so far.” He motioned for Shin to attack. Beerus paid close attention to the way Shin moved, and the choices he made. Everything was blocked, but Beerus made no attempt to retaliate. “Stop.”

Shin was slightly out of breath, having been giving it his all, trying to land a blow.

 “Obviously there are some things that need improving. You could be a lot faster for one. I’m sure Whis has told you all this, but you lack strength and can be a bit predictable. Towards the end there you seemed to lose your cool and became a bit frantic trying to land something. I think you should focus on kicks for physical hits, and ki blasts otherwise. Sorry to be blunt, but I doubt you’ll ever land a significant punch.”

 “Sounds about right. What will you teach me then?”

 “First, I want to see how you block. I won’t put any power behind my attacks, but if you don’t block them it might hurt a bit.” He could see the concern in Shin’s face. “You trust me, right?”

With a slow nod, Shin took a stance, ready for Beerus to make a move.

He took it slow at first, using obvious attacks that Shin could block. Each one was faster than the previous, building up speed until he ascertained what was ‘too fast.’ When he hit Shin, the kai stumbled back and massaged his shoulder, but he bounced back, ready once more. Knowing the speed, Beerus now varied his attacks more, aiming for more unexpected places, and moving around the field. He was able to pick out spots Shin was bad at covering, and angles he wasn’t used to being attacked from.

 “Alright. Relax.” Beerus circled Shin, stopping behind him. “Don’t turn around. I want you to block my attack on the count of three.”

Shin tensed, not prepared for what was to come. Beerus raised a hand and counted; on three he aimed for Shin’s back. The kai whirled around and knocked Beerus’s hand away, but it wasn’t a clean block.

 “Too slow,” Beerus said. “You’re relying too much on sight. You need to heighten your senses and feel how the fight will turn out. Predict your opponent’s move.”

 “Aren’t you a little too close?” Shin asked.

 “No. The fact is you know where I am to begin with. In combat you won’t have that luxury.” He repositioned them and they tried again. And again.

And again.

 “Whis’s patience is truly amazing,” Beerus muttered.

 “Sorry I’m not very quick.”

 “Well, I shouldn’t expect you to attain the speed I want in a few drills. This is going to take time. Like weeks or more. What a drag.”

 “Sorry again,” Shin said. “But I do appreciate you taking time to train me.”

 “Yeah… I won’t lie, I’ll probably leave your training to Whis for now. I’m itching to just whack you and train you the old fashioned way.”

 “Please don’t.”

 “I won’t, like I promised, but I think that kind of stimulus might push you to extend yourself.”

 “Beerus, we haven’t even been training for an hour. Maybe you should cut me some slack.”

 “Mmm. You know me, easily bored. Especially when it comes to people weaker than me.” He yawned and Shin wondered if it was natural or an exaggeration.

 “Perhaps you could give me some pointers on technique or something? You know, a theory lesson rather than a physical one.”

 “I’ll try. Show me your stance again.” Beerus stood staring at Shin, looking over every bit of his body. Shin felt strange the longer he stood there. Without a word Beerus stepped forward and began to move parts of Shin slightly before standing back and re-evaluating. “You’ve already slacked again. Shoulders pulled back like this.” He was more forceful this time, making sure Shin was going to stay in that position. “Legs further apart. But hands… Not sure. This is fine. But Zamasu fought like this.” Beerus changed Shin’s arms. “I don’t know if his stance is better suited to you – you’re roughly the same build, so it might benefit you.”

 “Not sure I want to imitate someone like that.” Shin returned to his original position.

 “Most talented kai I’ve ever met in terms of fighting. Even I didn’t like the guy, but he knew his stuff.”

Shin got Beerus to take him through a few more stances, and examples of good form before suggesting they stop.

 “What you’re leaving?” Beerus was almost offended that he was being left so soon.

 “I can see you’re bored, and I’m tired and feel gross, so I should go.”

 “I have a very nice bath here. And a bed.”

 “I know, but I do want to go home. Don’t worry, I’ll return tomorrow for training as you’ve asked.”

 “But – er – don’t you want to eat?” Beerus was scrambling for ways to get Shin to stay.

 “No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t want to eat you out of house and home like the saiyans will. I’ll stock up your kitchen tomorrow.” Shin watched as Beerus tried to think of another reason for him to not leave just yet. “Say, Beerus, is there something you’re not telling me? You never usually beg me to stay like this.”

 “I… Well, I mean, where’s the part where we lounge around doing nothing and have a little nap?”

 “Ah, of course, I haven’t provided my service as a pillow today.” Shin smiled and opened his arms wide, pulling Beerus into a hug. “Here you go, this is what you’re missing, right?”

Beerus pushed him away. “No, it’s not the same. Go on, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 “Thank you for today. And please accept my apologies once more for your visitors.” Shin awkwardly placed a kiss on Beerus’s cheek, noting the look of surprise it earned, before he disappeared.


	8. Virgin Killer

Day in and day out, Beerus watched while Whis trained Shin and the saiyans. He sat there thinking about when he should give Shin the sweater – did he deserve it soon after he sent the saiyans home? Should he wait a little longer? Maybe wait for the opportune moment to find him? How should he present it? As a gift with a ribbon? Or something a lot more casual?

All these thoughts and hypothetical scenarios played in his mind as he watched Whis block hit after hit.

 “Phew! I’m beat!” Goku stretched with an unnecessarily loud groan. “Is it lunch time yet?”

 “No, it’s time for you to go home,” Beerus said. He was tired of waiting. He wanted to give Shin the sweater now. All week he’d been thinking about this and the fact he didn’t know for sure how it would go was driving him insane.

 “Aw, but we’re just getting started.”

 “Maybe if you brought a more substantial offering I’d let you stay, but a couple of fruit jelly pots barely earnt you a week here.”

Goku mumbled something about only being able to take things from his son’s house, but Beerus had already stopped listening.

 “Whis, take them back.”

Vegeta looked annoyed – more so than his usual expression – but he didn’t dare complain. He still counted himself lucky that Beerus let them train there at all.

Whis bowed. “As you wish. Please get yourselves ready for the journey.”

The saiyans left and Shin came up to him next. “Do you expect me to train tomorrow, or am I free to come as I please again?”

 “You’ve done your penance. Take a day off if you want, but don’t go just yet. I have something for you.” Beerus slipped off his stump and began to lead Shin inside.

With a curious hop in his step, Shin followed.

Beerus walked into the room where he had left the sweater, in the bag it had come in – this way he thought it wasn’t as done up as a gift, but he also didn’t have to awkwardly hand it over. He took a seat on the sofa and motioned to the bag. “That’s for you.”

Shin eyed the bag curiously, wondering if Beerus had picked him up something else during their trip, but then remembering that they had worn their purchases and not needed bags. He opened it and pulled out the soft woollen garment.

 “It’s so soft!” Shin held up the garment to figure out exactly what it was. _Oh_. Yes, he remembered this. This is the sweater Whis wore that day. He turned it round. Yes, the one with no back. Except this one was an orangey-yellow, perfectly matching his potara.

 “I’d like you to wear it,” Beerus said, watching Shin’s reaction. “I need to make sure it fits.”

Although he was sure Whis had heavily advised on sizing, he didn’t want to disappoint Beerus. Besides, after training he was glad of an excuse to take something off. Shin whipped off his sash and undid the button on his robe. He shrugged it off and slowly undid the tie on his shirt.

 “Stop staring…”

 “I’m not staring. I’m just watching to make sure you put it on properly. I thought you were going to put it over your shirt or something.”

 “It did cross my mind.” Very quickly, Shin removed his shirt and pulled the sweater over his head. He adjusted the neck and pulled it down neatly. “How is it?”

Beerus motioned for him to come closer, and Shin obliged. “It’s very cute. But…” He pulled at Shin’s trousers, dragging them down to reveal lavender thighs.

 “Hey!” Shin tried to pull them back up.

 “This is more like a dress-sweater. You’re meant to wear it without trousers. Tights or nothing. So get them off.”

Shin looked down and touched where the sweater ended. “This is ridiculous. One could only realistically wear something this short if they were planning to do nothing but stand in one position all day. Isn’t my ass hanging out?” He tried to turn and look.

 “It’s fine. It’s just to wear indoors.”

The kai frowned and reluctantly removed his boots so he could slip off his trousers, being very careful to avoid the sweater riding up.

Beerus smiled and pulled Shin into his lap, taking the opportunity to slip his hands into the sweater. It was so easy, it could have been accidental.

 “When did you buy this? And why?”

 “I got it the day you turned up with the saiyans. In fact, I had only been back a short while. I’ve been meaning to give it to you since, but decided you didn’t deserve it just yet. Why? Am I not allowed to treat you every once in a while? Do you like it?”

 “I’m still not sure about wearing it as one’s only piece of clothing, but it’s remarkably soft…somehow warm yet cool. I suppose having you as a back heater helps.” He further relaxed into Beerus’s embrace.

Beerus traced the soft flesh of Shin’s stomach. “That’s enough approval for me.”

 “You chose this because that time we went out, Whis out-dressed me, right?”

 “Precisely. Whis looked fucking fantastic in that. So what would you look like? I had to know.”

 “Do I meet your expectations?”

 “Exceeded them. You’re fucking adorable in it.” Beerus wanted to say more, but this was too good to spoil. He could feel Shin’s bare back against his stomach, his hands gently caressing Shin’s chest, the soft wool of the sweater a nice sensation on the back of his hands.

 “Stop.” After a few minutes of silence Shin removed Beerus’s hands and placed them outside the sweater.

 “Don’t you like that?”

 “Oh, no, I do…” Shin was glad not to be facing Beerus. “I just thought I might indulge you in one of your favourite past-times of sleeping together.”

Beerus’s heart skipped a beat as he got the wrong end of the stick. Before he could replay the sentence and figure it out, Shin nuzzled into Beerus’s chest and closed his eyes. _Duh, of course that’s what he meant._ He wrapped his arms around the kai once more.

Shin murmured something about being warm and comfortable and was asleep not long after. Beerus wondered if all the recent training had been taking its toll. Surely he was never usually this physically active? Yet today Beerus wasn’t tired enough to join him in slumber. Instead he was running over Shin’s reaction to the sweater and whether to continue his plans of domination once Shin woke up. Would things change after some sleep? Had he missed a golden opportunity just now? Maybe the only reason he’d got Shin to wear the sweater in the first place was due to tiredness. His plan to do this all while Whis was off-planet was also slipping away every minute. Not that it mattered to him, but Shin certainly would have been easier to persuade with no one else around.

How much time had passed? It seemed like an eternity, but in reality a mere 7 minutes had elapsed. He could feel Shin’s breath on his chest, the regularity indicating he wouldn’t be easily disturbed now. Gently he began to run his hands through white hair, pondering how long he should wait before waking Shin up. The idea of sleeping himself was even more impossible now; he had to be awake when Shin woke. If Shin woke before him then that could be the end of it. He could see it now: Whis wakes him up for breakfast tomorrow, Shin long gone with the sweater.

His amusement for the time being was his mostly naked kai. He traced the soft skin in all the places he never usually got to see. Arms and shoulders, back and thighs. Shin turned in his sleep and Beerus was given even more access to his back, the kai lying with his face pressed against Beerus’s chest. He liked to think he knew a lot about how to touch a back – but really he only knew how best to touch Whis’s. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to try out the same areas. Despite how soft and relaxed Shin looked at that moment, he felt very tense. Hopefully it was just due to the recent training. He wondered if Kibito helped work out those tensions like Whis did for him.

His ministrations paused for a moment as he realised he’d never asked what kind of _services_ Kibito provided. The thought of him doing the kinds of things Whis did was almost laughable – he just couldn’t imagine it. Kibito was so stern and uptight most of the time.

He resumed gently massaging Shin’s back, extremely pleased when Shin hummed in his sleep. Before he knew it he hit fabric and was at the end of his fun. Or so a fool would believe. Ever so carefully he slipped his fingers under the hem, and when Shin didn’t react he chanced a whole hand. For a minute he was still as he cupped that soft ass cheek, its owner seemingly none the wiser. So he added his other hand to the fun, closing his eyes and feigning sleep should Shin wake up. Yes, he could pass quite a lot of time just like this.

 “Beerus.”

The god jolted awake, immediately berating himself for falling asleep. He looked down and Shin was still laying on him, and his hands were where he remembered leaving them. Perhaps that had been a wise move to stop Shin running on home.

 “Whassup?”

 “Remove your hands.” Shin didn’t seem very happy about this.

 “Oh…must have moved there of their own accord.” He wondered if Shin would believe that, hoping his sleepy state would help his case. “How long’s it been?”

 “I don’t know.” Shin began to get up to find a time source, but Beerus stopped him.

 “It doesn’t matter.”

 “Let me go, I need to stretch and get some water.” Without thinking, Shin got up and stretched with his hands high above his head, not realising what he was wearing until he felt the sweater ride up. Quickly he pulled it back down, hoping Beerus hadn’t been staring at his momentarily exposed ass. With a pop, a glass of water appeared in his hand, and he hoped that little creation trick drew the eye away.

He downed the water and handed the empty glass to Beerus. “Something for you to destroy.”

 “Thanks.” Beerus placed it on the floor, planning to keep it forever. Of course, his excuse for not erasing it immediately was that he didn’t want to get dust everywhere.

Shin climbed back into Beerus’s lap. “My back’s cold, but it feels really good after that nap.”

 “Glad you enjoyed it.”

Shin hummed curiously.

 “I gave you a little massage. How could I not with such perfect access? Sounded like you enjoyed it.” He slid his hands into Shin’s sweater once more, tracing his stomach again.

A blush spread over Shin’s cheeks as he wondered what kind of noises he’d made in his sleep. “Oh…well, thanks, I guess. Seems this sweater gives you access to all of me.”

 “I thought you said you liked it when I did this. Maybe you can enjoy it without being so sleepy.”

Shin said nothing, deciding to go with it, resting his head on Beerus’s shoulder.

 “What would you call this?” Beerus asked, poking his finger up to indicate the sweater. “Apart from an abomination.”

 “A sweater? You want more? I guess I’d just say open-backed sweater. Although…sleeveless open-backed sweater would be more accurate. If you really wanted to get descriptive, you could add that it’s a turtleneck.”

 “So you don’t know the local term?” That gave Beerus a feeling of satisfaction.

 “No, but please share if you do.”

 “They call it a ‘virgin-killer sweater.’”

This was not the kind of name Shin had been expecting. In fact, he had half-expected Beerus to have learned the name in the local language. “Fascinating. Have many virgins have died wearing one for it to get such a name?”

Beerus sighed. “You’re so dense sometimes. They don’t mean virgins get murdered, they mean they lose their virginity when they wear it.”

 “Ah, I see.” Suddenly there were a few more implications behind this gift. “When did you learn that?”

 “Obviously when we went back there, we wore our outfits from our first visit.” Beerus fondly remembered getting Whis back into his sweater. “While we were there I sent Whis off to source some food for dinner and when he returned he had this interesting story about being approached by some fools. I know they were fools because Whis actually knocked them to the ground. It’s such a rare occurrence I’m sad to have missed it. But anyway, he told me some of the things they said. Such disgusting pigs there were to think they could accost Whis like that. But at least we learned something about clothes.”

 “That’s terrible. I’ve only ever had good experiences there. But I can see why this sweater could invite unwanted attention.” Still, Beerus hadn’t bought him this based on the name and that eased his mind.

 “…Is this attention unwanted?” Beerus asked, aware he was berating people for doing something he was quite guilty of.

 “N-no.” It hadn’t been wanted initially, but he was quite enjoying this relaxing time. “But, you know, Beerus, if you want something you should ask.” There was an air of shyness in his voice which he hoped Beerus didn’t pick up on.

However, Beerus totally heard it. He was now wondering whether Shin had figured his ploy out yet. Surely Shin must know what he was planning by now? He said nothing as he moved one hand up to ghost across Shin’s chest, making sure to catch a nipple this time. Earlier he had been wary about being too forward too early, but now seemed the right time. As a distraction he kissed Shin’s neck.

 “Is this unwanted?”

 “No.”

 “How about this?” He kissed an ear as he brushed past a nipple again.

 “No.”

Beerus hummed. “You either don’t want to give anything away, or everything.” Now he was gently brushing that nipple without letting up, feeling Shin squirm a little as it hardened and became too sensitive to bear.

 “Beerus…” Shin whined. “…Stop teasing me.”

 “Teasing, am I? Did you want something else?”

 “ _You’re_ clearly the one who’s looking for something,” Shin said. “I’m just the poor guy on the end of those desires.”

Beerus trailed a finger from Shin’s knee, down his inner thigh until it hit the hem of the sweater. “You know what I want. You just need to tell me if you’re willing.”

 “You’re a very cunning man. You must know what you’ve been doing to me all this time. I doubt I have the will to say no.” His body was yearning for something more, not that he wanted to beg Beerus for anything.

 “So, this…” Beerus slipped his hand under the fabric and stroked the skin around Shin’s most sensitive area. “…Is okay?”

Shin nodded, but before Beerus could make any further advances, Shin spun around and said, “Wait. We need to talk.” He sat up, facing Beerus.

 “Haven’t we done enough talking?” He had been literal centimetres away from his goal, and now his hands weren’t at all in contact with the kai.

 “What is this?”

Beerus cocked a brow, not entirely sure what ‘this’ was. “Sex?”

 “But what does it mean?”

Here he was finally about to get into the mood, and Shin was throwing around these philosophical questions. “It means we both feel good, now shut up and let’s have some fun.” He went to make a move, but Shin placed a hand firmly on his chest.

 “Beerus, I’m serious. I have to know your feelings before we go further.”

 “God, Shin, I just want to fuck you. It’s not that deep.”

 “No romantic feelings?”

That one hung in the air a moment too long, and both wished that they were in a darker room.

 “Me? In love? Don’t be ridiculous.” Beerus laughed it off.

 “You hesitated.”

 “Yeah, because it was such a weird question. I’ll throw it back at you – you didn’t think there was more to this, did you?”

Shin frowned. “Maybe. You know, I thought you were going to make a move on me ages ago. And when you didn’t I thought maybe I had been picking up the wrong signals, but then…well, I wasn’t sure again. And today I was even less sure. I mean, that time when I opened up to you about my feelings… I wondered if you were going to say something then.”

 “Alright, I’ll come clean with you, just like you did that day.” Beerus bowed his head so he could stare at something other than Shin’s face – the plush sofa cushions, his hands, _anything else_. “I thought I had some other feelings for you. More than just the over-protective, selfish feelings.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Man, that sounds like something lovers would feel, but you know what I meant – it’s all about the life-link. Well it was. For millions of years. But recently we’ve been through a lot of shit and I began to care about _you_. I wanted to be your friend, and spend time with you. Above and beyond the usual duties, and what those in other universes probably do. I was worried I was having some other kind of feelings…romantic almost, as you say.” Beerus looked up to see if Shin had reacted; there was a slight sense of surprise in his expression. “But then I talked to Whis and realised I’m not a fucking sap. I’m guessing you didn’t feel the same way?”

 “I had my doubts at times. I think I do fall in love a little with people who lavish me with attention – they are few and far between after all. But, despite all the character reforms you’ve been through while you’re around me, I can’t say you’re my type.”

 “Ouch. Not even my own kai’s type? We should be more in-tune than that.”

 “I think it’s better we don’t fall in love with each other. It would be weird…the universe might lose balance.”

 “I guess. But what if I had said there was more behind this? What would you have done?”

 “Well…” Shin slipped a hand around Beerus’s neck. “I would have said you had to forget about it while we fucked, or we’d just have to leave it.”

Beerus grinned. “You want me that much, eh?”

 “I told you, you’ve been naughty turning me on like that.”

He slipped an arm around Shin, pulling him in closer. “Good, I did enough to keep your interest through your derailing romantic talk. Now, where was I?”

 “Probably at the part where we get you up to speed with me.” Shin slipped a hand between their bodies, palming the front of Beerus’s trousers. “Are you sure you’ve been pining after me?”

 “A god should have this level of control over his body.” He began to loosen his sash. “The last thing I wanted to do was have you in my lap and suddenly realise how I was lusting after you, and you never visited again.”

 “Oh? Lusting, was it?” Shin slipped his hand beneath the fabric to stroke Beerus.

 “Sometimes, certainly. And I can tell you that now you have your hand on my cock.”

 “Maybe you’d like something else on it?” Shin licked his upper lip slowly.

Beerus’s eyes widened a little, and Shin caught it, smiling at how he’d caught the other off-guard for once. Without a word, he laid between Beerus’s legs and took the semi-hard appendage out of his trousers, teasing the length a few more times with the tip of his finger. Beerus watched on eagerly, catching the glances from Shin. As Shin’s warm mouth began to suck the head, he couldn’t help but let out a groan. After all this time, he was finally living out his fantasies, and god was this going better than expected. He liked to think that Shin would suck his dick, but he’d never got his hopes up. Yet here they were. Beerus ran a hand through the white Mohawk at his crotch as Shin moved to take more of Beerus in his mouth.

 “Fuck me. What did I do to you to get this level of attention?”

He wished he hadn’t said anything, because Shin removed his mouth so he could use it to reply. “Show me some tender affection and you’ll get rewarded. But also, I’m still not letting you anywhere near my ass, so I hope this will suffice.”

 “What kind of thing to I have to do to unlock that privilege?”

 “It’s never happening,” Shin said. “Nothing goes in.”

 “Urgh, fine, I’ll get you a little something you can experiment with in your own time.”

 “Please don’t. Say…” Shin licked Beerus from base to tip. “Have you ever had anyone fuck you like that?”

 “Obviously I have tried nearly everything you can think of, but as a god I don’t want to be in such a position. Not to mention the tail makes it less than comfortable at times."

 “Oh, but someone had you like that once? Or was that before you were a god?” Shin resumed his sucking as he listened to Beerus’s reply.

 “More than once. But the only person who’s done it and known I was a god was Whis.”

Shin almost choked on the dick in his mouth. “I was under the impression angels don’t have…”

 “Oh, sweet, innocent Shin.” Beerus ruffled his hair. “You know nothing. Just because one doesn’t have a cock permanently, doesn’t mean they can’t have one temporarily.”

Images of himself trying to create an impressive appendage flew through his mind, not that he had ever tried to use his powers for any kind of body modification barring healing.

 “I can see it in your face,” Beerus laughed. “I meant one you strap on, not some magical dick you make. Come, I’m hard enough now, let me touch you some more.”

He pulled Shin back into their cuddling position, slipping one hand into the sweater again, the other caressing a thigh. Slowly he moved up the thigh, pushing the bottom of the sweater up as he went, over Shin’s hips until it pooled at his waist. Then his hand moved down once more, pushing Shin’s legs apart a little so he had all the access he needed, dipping a finger between the folds and very gently teasing the nub there. Shin let out a relieved sigh and felt a little tension is his body lift.

Suddenly Beerus retrieved his hand and pushed a finger into Shin’s mouth. “Come on, suck it like you sucked my cock.”

Shin did as he was told and soon that finger was back to stroking him, and he had to admit it was much better with a little wetness to smooth the way. “You’re such an animal sometimes, you know. If you’re fucking _me_ maybe you should take advantage of what I can offer.” He held out a hand and a bottle appeared.

Beerus took it and tipped it from side to side, watching the viscous liquid inside flow. To make life easy Shin had even materialised it in a squeezable bottle, so Beerus applied some and got right back to what he was doing – making Shin hum with pleasure.

The wet sound of Beerus’s ministrations mingled with the sounds of Shin enjoying it. Inside he was mortified to know he was the cause of every sound in the room; Beerus was suddenly very quiet, enjoying listening to everything that came out of Shin’s mouth. God he knew he didn’t want Beerus to stop, but he wanted it to stop being all about him now. He looked down, planning to take hold of Beerus’s hand and stop him, but then he noticed that all this time Beerus’s dick had been right there between his legs and he’d done nothing to help his other half. He rolled his hips, just brushing past his goal. Cursing his short stature he readjusted his position and tried again.

 “What are you up to?” Beerus asked. “ _Oh?_ Oh yes, I like this idea. Very much.” He stopped and flipped Shin around, making it so Shin straddled his hips. Quickly he relocated the lube and coated his dick for good measure. “Alright, do that thing.”

Shin was blushing furiously as he looked down at Beerus.

 “What’s wrong? Did I misread your intentions?” Beerus pulled Shin by the hips, lining him up perfectly with his dick.

 “N-no.” Shin placed his hands on Beerus’s stomach to steady himself as he rolled his hips forward, riding Beerus’s length.

 “Yeah, I think this will work out just fine.”

Shin repeated the action a few more times. “Stop staring…” Each time he’d tried to steal a peek at Beerus’s expression he had found the other staring right back at him.

 “No. I like seeing you like this.” Beerus reached up and caressed a cheek. “Your expressions are always so beautiful. I can see everything in your face right now, and I love it.”

 “I hate it.” Shin closed his eyes to block it all out for a moment. “I look… It’s embarrassing! I’m not used to being on top like this. I feel so exposed. I wish there was a blanket I could hide under.”

 “It’s just me,” Beerus said. “It’s not like anyone else is watching.”

 “Just you is enough.”

 “Alright.” He pulled Shin down to his chest and then flipped their positions so Shin was lying beneath him. “Is this better?”

Shin nodded. “Now you’re my blanket.”

 “We’re such opposites I can barely believe we’re in this position to begin with. I’d rather fuck like I was being filmed, showing off all my best bits.” Beerus made a show of whipping off the regalia around his neck and dropping it to the floor. “Whereas _you_ want to hide it all away as if Grand Zeno was watching. I thought I’d turned you on enough to override that, but I guess it can’t be done.”

 “Maybe we could build up to it. This room is too open and bright for my comfort.”

That line stopped Beerus in his tracks momentarily. Did Shin mean to imply that he was already thinking about doing this again? Beerus had thought he’d have to fight a bit harder than this to earn subsequent audiences of this kind.

 “I know a few places.”

Beerus resumed the motions Shin had started, grinding his dick against Shin’s groin and once again elucidating those moans he enjoyed so much. Beneath him, Shin opened his legs a little wider and tilted his hips to make sure Beerus was brushing past his nub with every thrust. Above him, he could hear Beerus breathing heavily, occasionally letting out a pleased noise. As Beerus became more vocal, Shin found it easier to give in to his own need to vocalise how he felt.

 “Ah…Beerus…”

 “God, say my name like that again.” He slowed his pace to tease Shin, but pressed harder.

 “F-fuck,” Shin moaned, nails digging into Beerus’s hips. “ _Beerus…_ Do that, but do it faster.”

 “Why would I go any faster…when you clearly like this more?” He wanted to hear what other profanities Shin might say if he kept this up. He loved that Shin was more free with his language around him – probably having picked up Beerus’s own bad habits, but he never said such words as exclamations like this and god Beerus wanted to hear it again and again.

 “Don’t you want to go faster?” Shin began to push against Beerus in response.

 “Oh no, I can do this _all day_.”

Shin looked up and saw that Beerus looked quite serious, and he believed him. Of course he could believe Beerus would have spent some time mastering this desire and bending it to his will.

 “ _Beerus…_ ” Shin whined. “ _I_ want you to go – ah – go faster!”

 “Such a demanding little kai. I want to hear you say more things.” Anything. He wanted to hear Shin’s voice right now, dripping with lustful tones.

 “Just fucking do it.” He let out a moan, intentionally being loud and drawing it out. “You want me to come, right?”

 “Oh yes, but I want you to beg for release.”

Shin moved his hands to Beerus’s neck and pulled him down so he could whisper in his ear. “ _Please_ , Beerus.” Another pleased sound to sweeten the deal. “I’m so fucking close.” Oh he had noticed the way Beerus’s ears perked up with each swear word he used. “Stop being such an asshole and make me come.”

Well, he supposed that was quite good begging from Shin. He wouldn’t want to push his luck and have Shin reject future encounters because he was too much of a tease. “Alright.” He kissed Shin’s cheek before granting Shin’s request.

This was even better than before, Shin thought as he let more moans pass his lips. The short break seemed to have just increased his desire and pleasure, and he found himself hooking a leg around Beerus to make sure he didn’t go anywhere.

His hands gripped Beerus’s back, nails digging in as he felt the first wave of his orgasm hit him. His eyes were tightly shut, his mouth trying to say something to let Beerus know he was on top of the world right now, but all that came out was the sound of satisfaction. Whether Beerus knew or not, it didn’t matter; as long as he didn’t stop at this moment.

 “Oh my…ah – ah! F-fuuuck…” he just about managed to say something a little coherent before the second orgasmic wave washed over him, making his body tense and then release, leaving him relaxed and limp. His limbs fell away from Beerus, and the sofa he was on suddenly seemed a hundred times softer than it was before as he sank into it, sighing.

 “Is that it?” Beerus asked, not hiding the disappointment in his voice.

Shin nodded, a smile on his lips.

 “I thought you’d last a bit longer at least.” He made to continue his previous movements, but Shin shuffled further up the sofa and pushed Beerus away with a foot.

 “No, I’m not ready for more.”

Beerus shrugged. “Worth a try. You gonna make me take care of this myself then?” He laid back on the other end of the sofa, legs spread wide.

Shin lazily changed position so he could lie between his legs. Without a word he began to suck Beerus’s dick once more; hopefully he could finish him soon before his afterglow disappeared. Wait…no, he definitely would be able to enjoy this he realised as he tasted the lube he’d created. He’d given it flavour in case Beerus had decided to go down on him, but things hadn’t panned out that way. At least one of them got to enjoy the sweet strawberry flavour.

 “You’re really into this,” Beerus noted.

 “You taste really good.”

Beerus cocked a brow, having not expected Shin to say anything like that, and not knowing the truth behind the statement. It made him feel good and got him a bit closer to his peak. If only Shin would say more things like that, but then he wouldn’t have a warm mouth around his dick.

Shin slowly licked from base to tip. “And tell me when you’re going to come.”

 “Yeah, yeah, will do.”

Beerus slid a hand into Shin’s hair, curling it around his fingers. He wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day like this, but it had to come to an end – if only because Shin would get tired of this. Really it was a wonder he had lasted so long with Shin touching him, but he guessed that having waited so long for this moment his body had not quite caught up with the fact it was happening - that he was allowed to have this now.

 “Huh? Why’d you need more lube?”

 “It’ll be better. Trust me.”

Beerus wasn’t going to question it as Shin seemed to be taking even more of him into his mouth now. “Shit, yeah, alright, that’s pretty good.” He let out a moan as Shin began to caress his balls. Now he was sure Shin was trying to hurry him up, and god was it working. If he was just a bit more experienced at sucking dick he could probably have Beerus begging by now. “ _Shin…_ ” Now he became much more vocal, saying Shin’s name, telling him how good it felt, and throwing in some advice for good measure.

Shin looked up to see Beerus gazing fondly at him, eyes heavy-lidded with lust. Usually he’d look away when Beerus was staring, but now he held that gaze, trying to look enticing as he focused on making sure he didn’t do anything stupid now he wasn’t looking at what he was doing.

Beerus was completely taken by this sudden confidence Shin was displaying. He had no idea why Shin was looking up as he swirled his tongue around his tip, but it was doing all the right things to his dick. Oh yes, _that’s_ what he wanted. He wanted Shin to watch his face as he gave in to pleasure.

 “I’m gonna come.” He didn’t even blink as he said it. It was so nonchalant that it even took Shin a moment to realise what was coming.

Shin had barely removed his mouth when he received a face full of cum, not having let go yet. He continued to pump Beerus, quickly changing the angle so the rest of it pooled on Beerus’s stomach.

Beerus rubbed his thumb over Shin's cheek, wiping some of the cum away. "It's a good look."

Shin pulled at the sweater he was still wearing and used it to wipe his face.

 "Aw, why'd you ruin your face and the sweater?"

 "Apart from the fact I find it degrading, it's not something I want on my face for long. It's a bit gross."

 "Degrading? We're both gods, so I can't see why." Sure he wouldn't let someone of a lesser station do it to him, not unless he ordered it of course.

 "I've seen it used as a way to show dominance and control - not that I've been watching people or anything!" He tried hard not to turn bright red. It wasn't as if he'd been searching specifically, he just happened to come across a few instances over the years.

Beerus was grinning once more. "Oh, Shin, it's okay, you can tell me you indulge in a little porn sometimes."

 "I don't! It's not like that I promise."

 "I won't judge."

In order to better hide his face, he laid down next to Beerus, not fancying lying on his now unclean torso. "I can't help but see things in my job."

 "Mmm, well, next time, maybe I can show you a few of my favourite hot encounters found on the galactic web."

 "No, thank you. I regret that we have something as amazing as the galactic web and yet some choose to use it for such purposes."

 "Whoever posted the first piece of porn on the web was a genius. But fine, we can just do this again." He said it confidently, hoping that Shin had only been rejecting his porn collection.

 "Yes, please don't have any wild ideas. The sweater was more than enough."

Beerus clenched his fist in success. "The sweater wasn't even a wild idea. That was just a gift."

 "Uh-huh, so you mean you were planning to just give it to me and leave it at that?"

 "Might have done. At some point maybe. A while ago." His intentions had been purer at some point. 

 “Shall we go and clean up? I can see you’re not gonna curl up with me properly otherwise.”

Shin nodded and followed Beerus out. For a moment he considered reaching out and taking a hand as they walked down the corridor together, but quickly put his hands behind his back. They’d agreed this wasn’t romantic, and he didn’t want Beerus to think he was reconsidering his position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won a commission while I was writing this chapter, so naturally I asked for Shin in a VK sweater (clearly had some balls that day lmao). And the artist came through like I wasn’t expecting it to look so sexy omg. Anyway, check it out: http://xqr.tumblr.com/post/174640023507/i-got-this-in-the-post-today-thanks-to


	9. Beer and Whiskey

Shin walked through Beerus’s gardens, wondering if anyone was home. If Beerus was asleep, Whis would greet him. If Beerus was busy, he would soon appear, sometimes wet with a towel, other times with a plate of food, still chewing away. It had been a long time since he’d turned up and no one had been home, and he imagined Beerus had finally started to suffer withdrawals from Earth food, or maybe he was out doing his job. Shin was about to leave when he heard what sounded like a loud laugh from above. He looked up and guessed that someone was in the dining area with the doors wide open.

Quietly Shin floated up to the balcony, keeping out of sight. He peered around the door and saw Beerus sitting at the table, Whis across from him.

 “And then he rolled a one!” Beerus roared loudly.

Whis too laughed at whatever story Beerus was telling, running a finger around the rim of the small glass in front of him. Shin noted that Beerus too had a glass, a much larger one, made of thicker glass, and with a handle. Then he noticed the boxes on the table next to Beerus, and the empty cans. Whis only had a single half-empty bottle.

 “I rolled a six next turn and won.”

 “Oh, good, you deserved it after all that gloating.”

Beerus nodded and downed his glass, picking up another can to refill it.

Shin considered leaving, but his curiosity was piqued. Had neither of them realised he’d arrived? Or had something happened? Maybe he had finally been here enough that he was no longer considered a guest that warranted greeting.

He stepped forward, walking into the dining room. “Hello.”

 “Oh, hey, Shin!” Beerus waved widely.

 “Is now a bad time?” he asked as he put a hand on the chair he intended to sit on.

 “Nah, ‘course not.” Beerus patted the table, indicating Shin should sit. “Oh no, wait.” He put his head on the table and reached across to take Whis’s hand, into which he whispered something.

 “My lord, my ear isn’t in my palm,” Whis said.

He looked up from the table and loudly whispered across the table, “I’m not supposed to talk to Shin when I’m drunk.”

 “I can leave.” Shin made to get up, but Beerus waved at him to remain seated.

 “I’m not drunk,” Beerus said to Shin.

Shin gave him a disbelieving look. “You just said –“ Beerus shushed him.

 “He’s drunk,” Whis said.

 “Oi! _Whis!_ You’re not meant to say that. It’s all your fault!”

 “ _My fault?!_ I don’t know what gave you that idea. It’s Lord Champa’s fault if you want to blame anyone.”

Beerus frowned. “No, it’s your fault because you’ll keep drinking with me until I pass out. Sometimes I hate that this body isn’t as godly as yours.” He turned to Shin. “This asshole can drink that whole bottle of whiskey and won’t feel a thing!”

 “What did Lord Champa do to instigate this?” Shin asked.

 “We’ve just come back from his birthday party.” Beerus pushed his glass away to stop himself from drinking any more.

 “Oh? Happy birthday! You should have told me. I would have got you a little something to celebrate.”

Beerus smiled and cocked a brow. “Thanks, but you’re here. What else did you need to bring other than yourself?” He got up and climbed into Shin’s lap awkwardly, just about fitting into the gap between Shin and the table.

 “ _My lord,”_ Whis said with a warning tone.

Beerus pouted at Whis and then felt a hand on his cheek, turning his attention back to Shin. “Tell me, why aren’t you supposed to talk to me when you’re drunk?”

 “Because that’s the rule. I made the rule, so I can break it.” He grinned and ran a hand through Shin’s hair, enjoying how it felt.

 “But why did you make the rule in the first place?”

 “Because last time I talked to you after drinking you weren’t very pleased. You didn’t like me like that, so I decided not to make that mistake again.”

Whis took the opportunity to chime in. “Precisely, my lord, so perhaps you shouldn’t fall into the same predicament.”

 “Nah, it’ll be fine. Me and Shin are good now, right?”

 “We are.”

Whis sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He downed his glass and took his leave.

 “So, a birthday present…” Beerus hummed.

 “I was thinking of getting you something edible,” Shin said. He had long ago thought of this idea, having witnessed a few birthday gatherings on Earth, but unsure if Beerus celebrated his own.

 “Mmm, yes, _you’re_ quite edible.”

Whis returned and loudly set a large jug of water on the table and dropped a few more bananas into the fruit bowl. As if he was a well-trained cat, Beerus left Shin in favour of the water, drinking it straight from the jug. He picked up a banana and turned it over in his hands before peeling it. Instead of eating it, he took it over to Shin and pressed it to his lips. Shin stared up at Beerus, lips sealed until the banana was removed and Beerus took a bite.

 “Not in the mood?”

 “No. I certainly wasn’t expecting to turn up today and be asked if I’d suck dick five minutes later.”

Beerus looked around in disbelief. “Hey! I didn’t… Did I say that? No, I didn’t.” He certainly thought it, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t uttered a word.

 “You didn’t have to say it. It was quite obvious.”

 “Yeah, alright. Whatever, let’s just sleep together then.” On noting Shin’s face he reviewed his words and put a hand to his face. “What I meant was let’s have a nap. Like we often do. I’ve been up for 3 days straight at Champa’s.”

 “Oh? So it isn’t your birthday today?” He got up, and motioned for Beerus to lead the way. Hopefully Beerus could sleep some of his drunkenness off.

 “Maybe?” Beerus wobbled a bit on his feet and Shin supressed a laugh. “Neither of us remember the exact date. We forgot within the first million years. So now we just declare it’s our birthday every now and then – but the weather has to be good.” Beerus went really quiet and stopped.

Shin looked up at him. He seemed lost in thought. “You okay?”

 “Yeah…” Beerus shook his head and continued walking towards his room. “I don’t have many memories before godhood, but yeah, I remember birthdays happened on a hot, sunny day.”

 “Why don’t you just ask Whis? I’m sure he knows.”

 “Nah, we prefer it this way. It’s more fun.” He pushed the doors open and went directly for his bed, collapsing on top of it, not even bothering to remove his shoes.

Shin took time to take off his shoes and outer robe, knowing Beerus disliked it when curling up. When he climbed up onto the bed he found Beerus sprawled out, already asleep. A sigh escaped Shin and he placed a hand in Beerus’s, but the other didn’t grab on and pull him in as expected. Beerus was truly out for the count.

 “He’ll probably be out for a week,” Whis said from the doorway.

 “You knew this would happen.”

 “Of course. He’s so predictable.”

Shin got off the bed and redressed. “Training, then? I assume you’re up to it?”

 “As you wish. Sometimes I lament the fact I can’t enjoy simple things like Lord Beerus, but then I think do I really want to bumble around and lose a week to unconsciousness?”

 

**ooo**

 

Beerus woke with a mouth as dry as a desert. He probably could have slept longer if not for the fact his body was telling him to drink a whole lake. Luckily Whis had his back; he rolled his head to the side and saw not one, but three jugs of water set on the rock that surrounded his bed. It didn’t take him long to empty them.

 “Good morning, my lord.”

Beerus grunted a ‘morning’ back. “How long was I out?”

 “Only 12 days.”

Beerus nodded slowly; that was quite average, maybe a little below. Perhaps he should sleep some more… He lay back down and thought about how hard he had partied at Champa’s and calculated when he should set the alarm for.

 “Wait.” He sat up and looked over at Whis. “Did Shin turn up?” It was bad enough he hadn’t mentioned the three-day party he’d attended – not that Champa gave any notice, but to then spend a further 12 days asleep!

 “Oh? You don’t recall?”

Beerus’s eyes widened and he quickly replayed everything he remembered in his mind. “No… Please tell me that I dreamt the bit where Shin turned up when we got back.”

 “Oh, good. I hoped you would remember that.”

 “Yeah, that’s all. I know he was here… God, Whis, just put me out of my misery – did I do anything stupid?”

 “I don’t think so.”

 “You don’t _think?!”_ Beerus sighed and reached for a jug, only to find it empty. “Why would you leave me alone with him?”

 “You never said not to, and I did warn you before I left. But I’m not particularly interested in watching whatever you two get up to.”

 “I would remember that,” Beerus said, mostly to himself. “You’re winding me up!”

 “Perhaps, but it is no lie that you were sitting in his lap, telling him he could be your present, and that he was…’quite edible’ I believe were your exact words.”

 “Fuck.” He had planned to be a lot smoother the next time he even tried to preposition Shin, but he guessed that was out the window now.

 “And the way he touched your face… I believed anything could happen. Especially when the pair of you were in your room minutes later.”

 “Are you pulling my leg? Please tell me you made this all up.”

Whis tapped his staff on the ground and from it appeared an image of Beerus sleeping sprawled across the bed. “I wouldn’t do such a thing, but this is the state I found you in – minutes later. I told Supreme Kai that you would get back to him when you woke.”

 “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but…” Beerus stretched and stood up. “Let’s go.”

 “How prompt. I’ll be waiting outside.”

 “Wait! Whis! Breakfast first! Shin later!”

 

**ooo**

 

 “Where the fuck is he?” Beerus muttered as he sat across from Goku. Having travelled to the Sacred World of the Kais and then on to Earth, he took up the offer of lunch from Chi-Chi.

 “I dunno. Don’t _you_ know more about him?” Goku asked.

 “Yeah, I’d hope so.”

 “Well then, where does he like to hang out?”

 “The same place _you_ like to hang out – my planet.”

 “Yeah, but where else?” Goku asked. He wanted to help Beerus more than anything – hoping that if he did he’d earn another week’s training.

 “Well, there are a few planets I know he visits…”

 “Maybe you should try them!”

Beerus huffed. “It’d take ages to travel there and back. Urgh. What a drag.”

 “Are you _sure_ Kibito doesn’t know? And what about Whis? I thought he was good at this sort of thing.” He was fast running out of ideas. After all, he didn’t really know the kai all that well. It wasn’t as if the Supreme Kai had been handing out training sessions to unlock potential after the Buu disaster was over. Besides, Goku needn’t pester him when he had King Kai a stone’s throw away (in comparison).

 “No, Kibito doesn’t know. You don’t seem to get the difference here, Goku. The Supreme Kai can travel wherever he wants without an escort, he doesn’t need to ask for a ride, nor tell anyone where he goes.”

Chi-Chi set a bowl of steamed buns down on the table with a _hmph_. “Sounds a lot like someone _I_ know!” She glared at Goku. “Always off training on someone’s planet, never says when he’ll be home, and certainly never says he’s going until he’s gone!”

Goku grinned sheepishly, unable to say anything better than sorry.

 “Yes, I will have to master that instant transmission at some point so I can render Whis useless.”

Whis raised his eyebrows and shot Beerus a look. “As if you could get rid of me _that_ easily.”

 “I know, you do more for me than I can list.” He refrained from saying thank you and singing Whis’s praises right there in front of Goku and Chi-Chi, choosing instead to just pat Whis’s leg under the table before reaching out for one of the buns.

 “However, you are right to think that I _can_ locate the Supreme Kai,” Whis said, casually stealing one of the buns Beerus had put on his plate. “But it appears he does not wish to be found. Much like you can mask your power level, so can he pretty much erase his ki to the point where you would have to be extremely nearby to sense him.”

Goku nodded, cheeks puffed out like a hamster. “Ay see,” he said with a mouth full of food.

Beerus starting to wonder again. Why had Shin taken himself off the map? It was 6 days according to Kibito. Why would he be gone so long without saying where and why? Had _he_ done something to cause this? It seemed unlikely that Shin would wait several days before disappearing, but it still worried him. What else had happened? Had he gone somewhere rough and something _bad_ happened? At least he could rule out death. What if he had fused and was hiding in plain sight?

Beerus shook his head; overthinking wasn’t going to help. Instead he enjoyed the surprisingly large lunch Chi-Chi had provided – having seen Goku’s rather humble abode, he hadn’t expected anything as grand as what Bulma usually served. It didn’t tickle his taste buds in the same way, but there was something homely and fulfilling that the lavish dishes he was used to lacked.

 “Last chance,” Beerus said as reclined back in his chair, having had his fill. “You definitely can’t sense him?”

Goku put his fingers to his forehead and searched hard, dangling the thought of training over his head. “It’s no use!” He frowned and hung his head. “Sorry, Lord Beerus.”

 “You know, I was really hoping you had some special mortal sense that could find him, but I guess not. Thanks for the lunch, but I must get going.”

Goku stood up quickly and saw them out. “Any chance of training soon?”

 “We’ll see. I’m a bit busy trying to find my other half at the moment.” Beerus cursed himself for using such a phrase, but it seemed to go over Goku’s head. He placed a hand on Whis’s back and waved goodbye before disappearing in a flash.

 “ _Some special mortal sense?_ ” Whis laughed.

Beerus shrugged, not that Whis could see behind him. “I don’t know. You know what that guy’s like – full of surprises. Maybe he can sense things we can’t. Or maybe Shin can turn off to us, but not Goku. Who knows? Worth a shot.”

 “I assume we’re heading home?”

 “Yeah…”

 “I wouldn’t worry.”

 “I’m not worried!” Beerus lied.

 “It’s written all over your face. You know, you’re allowed to be concerned. _I_ would be.”

 “You just told me not to worry!”

 “Yes, I meant don’t worry like you are. It seems to be eating away at you a little. But by all means keep it in mind and don’t just forget about it.”

There was a moment of silence. “Do you ever worry?”

 “About what?”

 “Anything. I guess about me if we’re comparing.”

 “Of course, my lord! Every time I leave you in the company of another destroyer for 5 minutes I have an urge to return to your side. When I visit other planets when I know you’re home and awake I worry that I’ll return to dust.”

Beerus rolled his eyes. “Stop being so sarcastic.”

 “I’m not. Truly, I do worry about you sometimes. I’d hate to actually have to recruit another destroyer. I’ve become quite attached.”

Beerus leaned forward and kissed the back of Whis’s neck. “I know. And I’d hate to die and leave you alone.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “Whis! Bring the book!”

 “My, my, what’s this? You’ve been up less than a day and you’re already ready to work?”

Beerus nodded. “Well, you were telling Grand Zeno not too long ago that I was slacking. So, come on, give me the book and we’ll be productive.”

Whis tapped his staff and a heavy tome fell onto the table. “Are you planning to get the Supreme Kai’s attention this way? Or perhaps this is just to pass the time until he returns?”

 “Such implications! Why, I don’t need motives like that to go out destroying. Don’t you think I’ve been a bit soft recently? I need to assert my authority in this universe and remind everyone who I am.”

 “Uh-huh.”

 “Clearly neither of those things you said are true. In fact, it’s because I’ve been spending too much time with him that I have an itch to go out and destroy a few things. I mean, when was the last time I destroyed a planet?”

 “Well you did make up the numbers after your 4-decade sleep. I think you’re on track at present. You can stop trying to justify this and just say I was right.”

Beerus opened the book and flicked through to the most recent entry, seeing that most of the planets listed had been ticked off. This book was the one he took to every coordination meeting and then usually proceeded to sleep through said meeting while the Supreme Kai wrote down planets to be destroyed. Of course, he provided his own list of planets he’d really like to wipe from existence, but sometimes the kais just didn’t agree with him, so he let them provide names too.

 “This one.” Beerus pointed to the name _Gisei_ , its location handily written next to it to avoid any confusion with planets similarly named. Now they would take a trip, try some local food, and decide if the Supreme Kai was right to list it. Unfortunately Shin almost exclusively offered lifeless planets in his lists, and it wasn’t as exciting as it used to be. There had been a kai some generations ago who had actually dared to name some more advanced civilizations. Still, there was a chance of some vegetation, and the next best fruit could be hiding on one of these.

It took almost 2 hours to travel to the planet in question, by which time Beerus was moaning about every little thing he could think of. To make matters worse, Whis then had to endure his complaints for another 2 hours on the way back, this time it mainly concerned the fact that the planet Beerus had chosen was as dead as could be. It was situated too close to a star for anything to have a chance at life, and they visited the surface with a shield Whis made, not daring to even try walking on the ground.

 “Perhaps you’d like to take another nap until the Supreme Kai returns?” Whis suggested. “I can keep my ears open for any news.”

Beerus muttered to himself, not that Whis understood any of it. He ended up shutting himself in his room, for a while he tried to doze off just to pass the time a bit quicker, sure that Shin would turn up any moment now. He knew that Shin kept tabs on him when it came to destroying, just like the Supreme Kai should if they have any sense. But then again, maybe not… Perhaps Shin had stopped keeping tabs on him now they saw each other so often. Or maybe he needed to destroy a few more things to really grab his attention. _Hmmm_ … It was tempting, but he’d actually gone overboard a couple of centuries ago and needed to pace himself with the few planets remaining on the list. The next coordination meeting would be a real arse ache if he destroyed too much right now.

He let out a groan as he realised he wasn’t going to sleep at all with his mind whirring like this. A distraction was needed. He floated up to the mouth of the snake statue that dominated his room and took out the crystal ball he kept there. Godtube it was. Videos of mortals doing stupid things. Such mind-dumbing idiocy was sure to put him to sleep.

Actually some of the stuff the others had archived was hilarious. Quitela’s collection was particularly enjoyable, much to Beerus’s annoyance.

Several days later, Beerus emerged from his room, having exhausted every recommended video. There sure was a lot of content spread across the 12 universes.

 “I’m hungry as fuck,” Beerus announced. “And I want to train. I feel like shit.”

 “Mm, lying in bed all day watching videos does that.” Whis threw an apple at Beerus.

Beerus looked at it. “I meant some proper food. Breakfast…or lunch, or dinner I guess. What time of day _is_ it?”

 “Lunch would be most appropriate. Meat, rice, and vegetables for you? Something balanced to get you ready to train.”

 “Two portions for me.”

 “As if I don’t feed you well enough,” Whis said as he left for the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say that bananas are full of potassium and apparently are considered to be hangover cures, hence Whis adding them to the fruit bowl. They just so happened to be the perfect tool in this chapter >.>”


	10. Show Me Love

 “Right there – that’s good.”

Beerus was leaning on the edge of his pool-sized bath while Whis massaged his back after a long day of training.

 “Did you want me to do a little something for you too?” Beerus offered. “I know you like it.”

Whis hummed. “If you’re willing to extend your offer to when we’re dry, then yes.”

 “Anything for you. You deserve a little something after training me. Maybe we should…” Beerus trailed off and his ears pricked up.

When Whis realised what Beerus had noticed he sighed, aware his massage would become a forgotten promise. In a splash of water Beerus was gone, grabbing a towel on his way out. He flew through the corridors until he was at the front entrance. There he stopped and fastened the towel around his waist before opening the doors with a little too much enthusiasm for someone who was trying to play it cool. It then occurred to him he wasn’t going to look in anyway cool as it was clear he was still wet from the bath, even if most of it had shaken off during his flight.

He stepped out into the front gardens and began walking towards the figure in the distance. It wasn’t the usual blue hues, but who else could it be sporting a white Mohawk? As they closed the gap he saw Shin smile and wave.

 “Who’s this stranger?” Beerus called as he walked forward, hands firmly behind his back, hoping that this way he wouldn’t be tempted to give into the desire to rush forward and sweep Shin up in his arms. Then he noticed what Shin was wearing; the sweater he’d given him, paired with white leggings and a long flowing cardigan. _Fuck, he’s cute_. Wait – was his hair slightly curled too? Oh god it was. Beerus was finding it hard to maintain his stern image.

 “What’s wrong?” Shin asked as they came face to face. “You don’t look pleased to see me. Did I come at a bad time? You know, you could have finished your bath before coming out.”

Beerus grumbled before finally letting it out. “You were gone for three weeks! And two days!” He put his fingers up for emphasis. “Three long weeks and no one knew where you were! Who does that?!”

Shin looked a bit sheepish. “It was a bit longer than intended, yes. I was on a planet with a much longer day-night cycle than the usual fare and lost track of time. But you were asleep for most of it, right? Whis said you were likely to be out for two weeks.”

 “It was only 12 days this time! I’ve been worrying about you for 17 days! That’s a fucking eternity for me.”

Shin cocked a brow. “Right, and a three-decade slumber is just a nap. But thanks for being worried I guess? Not that it was necessary.”

Beerus huffed. “Of course it was. I know you like to get yourself into situations you can’t handle occasionally. You could have been out there dying and taking me with you. I need to get you an apprentice or something so I can have my back-up life-link. You don’t get to my age without having all the fail safes in place.”

 “I don’t think I’m ready for an apprentice. I still feel like one myself sometimes.”

 “I’ll get you an idiot one like Zamasu – well not _like_ him. He was a right ass.”

Shin nodded. “I liked him though, he made me feel like a proper Supreme Kai. I’m surprised you didn’t like him more.”

 “As an ex-mortal I really couldn’t get behind his ideals. Anyway, where _have_ you been?”

 “Oh!” Shin dug into the pocket of his cardigan and pulled out a green thing. It was like a pale, fat cucumber. “Happy birthday!”

Beerus took the vegetable…? Fruit? The skin felt more like a banana. “What’s this?”

 “Oh…um… I don’t know, I haven’t given it a name yet. It’s the best fruit the planet has.”

 “ _You_ haven’t named it? Don’t the locals call it something?” Beerus turned it over in his hands before sniffing it; no notable scent.

 “There aren’t any locals yet. It’s, um…” He had to come clean about it sometime, and now seemed a good a time as any. “Remember that tiny lifeform I was really happy about that time I was looking in the crystal ball?”

Beerus nodded. “That wiggly thing you were crying over, yeah.” As if he’d forget _that_.

 “I made that planet. It was the first one I made. I just spent the past few weeks there admiring it and studying the life there. And I tried a great many fruits, but a lot weren’t what I’d class as edible. This was the best one I found. I’m not saying it’s amazing, but I wanted to get you something different.”

Beerus stood there staring at Shin, holding the unnamed fruit like it was a new-born child after having heard the story. It touched him that Shin finally shared the secret of that wiggly thing with him, and had even brought a souvenir. “How do I…?”

Shin dug a finger into one end and began to peel the skin off. “There.”

With utmost care Beerus continued to peel the fruit before scooping a bit of the flesh out and taking time to appreciate the flavour. “It’s a little bitter, but maybe it’s not ripe enough.” He didn’t want to shoot down the gift he’d been given. “Perhaps it would be better served with something else, and someone took the time to remove the seeds.”

 “Yes, they are a bit much, aren’t they?”

Beerus pulled Shin into an embrace. “Thank you. I’m really…” How did he convey his feelings without sounding cheesy? “Thanks for sharing this with me.” Yes, just avoid it completely.

 “I know it was a bit of a disappointing gift, but I have something else for you too.”

 “You didn’t have to, it’s probably not even my real birthday after all.”

 “But you asked for it.”

 “I did?” Beerus couldn’t recall.

Shin put a hand on Beerus’s waist. “Yes, you asked for _me_.”

 “ _Fuck_. Shin, please, you gotta tell me what happened last time you were here! Whis said I was…a bit forward. Did I do anything stupid? I mean I’m guessing not because you’re still talking to me and look cute as fuck, but… I need to know.”

 “When I said no, you listened. Nothing to worry about.” He smiled up at Beerus.

Beerus relaxed a little, the stress of waiting for Shin to return finally easing off. “Well, I’m sorry for any stupid shit I said anyway. I probably said something I’d rather not have said.”

 “Oh no, I believe you would have said everything you said whether you were sober or not. Or have you since decided that I’m not as edible as you thought?”

It was a rare occasion to see Beerus with a faint blush on his cheeks. “N-no. I meant something…er…” Of course he’d been thinking about all the cheesy things he could have said to Shin. Or maybe said things about his feelings that only drunk-Beerus would say. “Something like…” He couldn’t say any of the things he was thinking lest Shin get offended and think he _didn’t_ think he was really cute when he smiled. “’Oh man, I think we should invite Goku round!’ That would be _really_ idiotic of me.”

 “You don’t have to tell me,” Shin said. “I know there are some things the great destroyer never wants to pass his lips. Just don’t think too hard about it, or I might just be able to pick up on it.”

 “That’s a joke, right?” Beerus was deadly serious.

 “Well, maybe. There is a point where you don’t have to read minds to read a person. I’ll get better at it the more I get to know you. Anyway, shall we?” Shin began to walk towards the castle. “Maybe you can see if Whis can get something good out of that fruit.”

Beerus followed, calling for Whis along the way.

 “Yes, my lord?” Whis appeared from above.

He went to throw the fruit before remembering its importance. Instead he waited for Whis to be walking alongside him before handing it over. “Taste this, and then find a way to use it in a dish that’ll make it good.”

Whis did as instructed and then offered, “Perhaps in a yoghurt, or maybe in the frosting of a cake? I’ll do my best, but is this the only one?”

 “Yeah, so use it wisely.”

Whis bowed and flew off.

 “So, Mr Present, what kind of gift am I receiving?”

Shin shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t really _think_ about it. I assumed you knew what you wanted.”

 “Oh…I thought you had a little something planned, I mean, you’ve turned up in my favourite sweater after all.”

 “That was just an extra flourish. I doubt there’s much more you can do with it compared to last time. Of course, we can do the same again.”

Beerus pulled Shin close and expertly flew through the corridors and up the stairs now they were inside. “Walking is a bore. This time I want to get you out of that sweater. You didn’t take it off last time, you know. And I want you to be a bit more dominant.”

 “I can’t make any promises.”

He set Shin down and held the door of his room open for him. “Maybe I’ll get Whis to train you in that too. Make yourself comfortable. I can’t believe you paired that outfit with your everyday boots. It’s almost a crime.”

 “I often forget about footwear, so there wasn’t much else to go with. In fact, that time _we_ went shopping you put together everything but shoes.”

 “Alright, alright. It doesn’t matter anyway, but they sure stood out from a distance earlier.”

 "Shall I take this off?" Shin tugged at his cardigan.

 "No, unless you want to. Are you that hasty?"

Shin laughed. " _Me? Hasty?_ No, you're the one that just flew us up to your room."

Beerus frowned as he walked over to a nicely carved rock. "Alright, I get what it looks like, but actually I just wanted some clothes more than anything." The rock turned out to be a wardrobe and Beerus took a pair of trousers out. "The whole lounging around in a towel look doesn't really sit well with me; my tail makes it look stupid."

 "Oh. I assumed you didn't have need for either."

 "I'm saddened to hear you think of me like that. I mean, I would ravish you immediately if I didn't care about you. But I'd rather we talked and built up to it slowly, just like last time." He tied his sash and joined Shin on the bed. “So, tell me, did you really not tell Kibito where you went?”

 “He probably figured it out, not that I’ve shared the location with him. I want this planet to be _entirely_ my own, no influences from anyone, even those closest to me.”

 “That’s the possessive side I like to see. Have you bought him back a fruit too?” Beerus pulled Shin close.

 “No…you’re the first.”

 “I’m honoured.”

Shin leaned into the embrace, having forgotten how much he’d missed this. The time away had been pleasant, but it made him appreciate this even more. “I should have spied on you before I came back; I would have liked to see you worried about me.”

 “That’s not nice. You know, I was starting to consider life-linking with that old fart again.”

 “Well, it’s not like you haven’t had more than one in the past.”

 “Things are different now. Grand Zeno wouldn’t be pleased if he found out.”

Shin entwined their hands. “You should have more faith in me.”

 “It wasn’t my first thought. As I said, I thought I’d ticked you off.” Beerus slowly began to slide the cardigan over Shin’s shoulders and down his arms.

 “I wasn’t sure you wanted to do this again, you know. You didn’t even mention it the next time we saw each other.”

Beerus kissed each bare shoulder before dropping the cardigan over the side of the bed. “I don’t like to appear thirsty. Besides, I was trying to gauge how _you_ felt. For a few million years there was nothing after all.”

 “Yes, _you_ got bored with me. I know you hate to be bored.”

Beerus held up a finger, about to refute that, before thinking it over. “Nooo… I just decided you needed time. Didn’t you claim that I ‘tricked’ you into bed last time? Not that you were complaining at the time. But god, you should have seen yourself! So mopey and sad all the time, and I couldn’t seem to fix it. I only really got involved because it seemed like you needed the support, but in the end both Whis and I came to the conclusion it was best to leave you with Kibito to get to grips with suddenly taking on the full time job.”

 “I think it was for the best too. But after things settled down, you still didn’t come back for more.”

 “What’s a few million years? Nothing to me. I was keeping it professional.”

Shin laughed. “ _What’s a few million years?!_ You were just complaining about a few weeks!”

 “Shut up.” Beerus changed position so they were lying down, making it easier to slide his hands up Shin’s legs and begin pulling down those form-fitting leggings. “I’m _still_ trying to figure you out though. Are you just offering yourself because I asked?”

Shin looked away in embarrassment. “No…”

 “Why don’t you tell me a bit more?” He caressed the lavender thighs he’d uncovered.

 “There’s not much more to say.”

Beerus sighed. “Do you want to do this? I know how easy it is to say you do just after sex, so maybe you’ve changed your mind now your head isn’t clouded by post-orgasmic desire.”

 “I do.”

 “You don’t seem too keen.”

 “I guess it’s the anticipation and expectations,” Shin said. “Last time was spontaneous, but this time I know the end point and…well, I’m still nervous? Embarrassed? I don’t know…I’m overthinking it!” Shin hid his face.

 “Jeez, I wish I’d never asked. I know you’re always embarrassed about _everything_ , but surely you’re not nervous around _me_ anymore?”

 “No, I… It’s just so embarrassing to say that I want you to touch me…” Shin said it quickly.

Beerus smiled. “There, you said it. Wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, stop thinking about it, and relax.” He took the opportunity to free Shin’s ankles from the leggings and laid back down so they were spooning, slipping his hands into the sweater from the back so he could fondle Shin’s chest. “So, tell me about that planet of yours. Did you find the wiggly thing?”

 “Oh, yes! There’s a tiny cave full of them! I’m so happy that non-plant life has finally begun to take off. You see, the planet is full of plants – trees, flowers, grasses, you name it.”

 “The fruit’s a bit lacking for a planet full of it.”

 “I guess nothing had to evolve to be tasty to animals that would carry the seeds away. Quantity over quality in this case.”

While Shin continued to describe the fauna on the planet, Beerus continued to lightly touch every bit of skin he could. Shin sounded excited, but he wasn't sure if his ministrations were having the desired effect, or if he was really into his plants.

 "Is this your first time telling someone all of this?"

 "Y-yeah, is it boring?"

 "A little." He wasn't going to lie and be bombarded with more facts about how the shapes of the leaves varied according to their location on the planet. "But I enjoy listening because you make it sound like the most interesting thing in the world."

 "Oh...thanks? We can talk about something else."

 "Are you yearning for me yet?"

 "Sorry, I think I was too engrossed in thinking about the planet."

Beerus brushed over a nipple again. "I was almost sure this was a sign you were ready."

Shin shivered, as though he hadn't even realised his body had been responding to Beerus's touch. "I think you're right."

 "But you're not begging me yet, so I'll continue teasing you." He pressed a kiss to Shin's neck before gently sucking the skin. 

 "Don't leave a mark."

Beerus stopped to move to nibbling on an ear instead. "I'm not being that rough, am I?"

 “No, I just wasn’t sure if that was your intention.”

 “You’re already mine in every way, so what’s a small mark?”

 “It would be awkward explaining to Kibito…”

Beerus couldn’t help but laugh. “He doesn’t know?!”

Shin was turning bright red. “N-no, of course not – don’t tell me you told Whis already?!”

 “Well, duh. You know I share everything with him. I thought you understood that. Besides, he was quite helpful in my endeavour to get to this point, so I couldn’t spare any details.”

 “I mean, I guessed that Whis knew; he’s very perceptive. But I had hoped – in vain, I suppose – that you wouldn’t give away all my secrets.”

 “It’s _our_ secret. Ours and Whis’s.”

 “ _Anyway_ ,” Shin said to take his mind off who else Beerus might not mind telling. “Are you…having fun?”

Beerus moved Shin’s leg so he could stroke the soft skin of his inner thigh. “Well, yes and no. I thought that as you were gifting yourself that you might have paid a bit more attention to me – just a little grind of the ass here and there would have been nice.”

 “Sorry, I’m not very attentive, am I?” Shin spun round and placed a hand on Beerus’s chest, not brave enough to go straight for the goods. Slowly he trailed his hand down until he brushed Beerus through the fabric.

 “I like to think that I’m too much of a distraction; it’s clear to me you can be a bit one-track-minded when it comes to this stuff.”

 “How would you like your gift to please you?” Shin asked as he slowly caressed Beerus’s growing erection.

 “I want you to ride it.”

Shin nodded; he should have known this was going to be the request. He began to undo the sash at Beerus’s waist before unveiling the main event.

 “Wait.” Beerus sat up and pulled the sweater off of Shin. “Now we’re ready.”

 “Almost.” Shin held out a hand and a familiar bottle of lube appeared in it.

Beerus didn’t miss that relieved face Shin pulled as he brushed some lube between his legs, already plotting his next request to watch Shin touch himself. Shin wiped his hand on Beerus’s discarded trousers before throwing them off the edge.

 “ _Thanks_.”

 “As if _you_ do the washing.” Shin climbed on top of Beerus, making sure he was in perfect position before placing his hands on Beerus’s chest and rolling his hips forward. “Is this good?”

 “Perfect.” Beerus reached up and stroked his cheek. “But you could show me a bit more of yourself rather than hunching over and hiding behind your arms.”

 “Slow down, I’m just getting started.”

 “I know, that tomato face isn’t just because you’re turned on. Just remember I’m the only one watching.”

 “One more than I’d like.”

 “I thought you wanted me here?”

Shin sighed. “Of course I do, but I haven’t turned into an exhibitionist like you overnight.”

 “I guess this is better than last time’s attempt.” Beerus grabbed Shin’s ass as he rode his cock with decent rhythm. “Maybe you’ll open up when you’re a moaning mess.”

 “I’m not letting you near my ass. Just forget it.” Shin’s breathing was becoming heavier with each movement.

 “I wasn’t implying _that_. I just like giving it a good squeeze.” Beerus took the opportunity to do so again. “Don’t worry, we’ll have it written on your grave, ‘here lies Shin, he never took it up the ass.’”

 “I want to hit you.”

 “Go ahead.” Beerus offered a cheek.

 “No, you’d enjoy it too much; it wouldn’t be punishment. Maybe I should blindfold you so you can’t watch me.”

 “Hey, now, I’m sorry for cracking a joke.” He moved his hands to Shin’s hips instead.

Not wanting to get himself into any more trouble, Beerus shut up for a while and let the sound of their breathing fill the room. He watched as Shin moved on top of him, eyes closed and face flushed as he concentrated on maintaining the rhythm.

 “Fucking beautiful,” Beerus whispered.

 “Hm?”

 “I said you’re beautiful.”

That made Shin open his eyes and look at Beerus, a smirk on the feline’s face.

 “You’re just saying that.”

 “Do you think I just go around saying shit like that? No, I reserve those compliments for people like you.”

 “That’ll be your dick talking then.” Shin paused to brush his thumb lightly over the head. “You’re close, aren’t you?”

 “That’s nothing to do with it.” He couldn’t help but groan as Shin continued to tease him. “You’ve always been aesthetically pleasing, and I thought I should let you know more often.”

An idea overcame Shin and he leaned back, exposing his body like Beerus wanted. He held Beerus’s gaze as he bit his lip and took hold of his shaft, giving it slow, but strong strokes. “How about now?”

 “Oh yeah.” Beerus was trying to keep it together as he watched his fantasies come to life before his eyes. “Perfect. Gorgeous.”

Shin laughed as Beerus came seconds later. “Is that all it takes to get you off?”

 “You say that as if you hadn’t been riding me before that. But yeah, that’s the good shit.”

Shin dragged a finger through the pool of cum on Beerus’s stomach. “Would you come again if I…” He held the finger to his lips.

 “God, I wish I could. Do it anyway and I’ll fap to it later.”

Shin frowned and wiped the finger on Beerus’s chest. “Gross.”

 “Fuck, I really thought you might for a moment.”

 “Same. I must be really turned on.”

Beerus slid a hand between Shin’s legs, stroking him gently. “I shouldn’t let that slip. Sit on my face.”

 “What?”

 “Come on.” Beerus pulled him forward with ease. “Right there.” He had Shin kneeling above him, legs spread beautifully to allow him to lick his most sensitive area.

 “ _O-oh_. Wouldn’t this be easier – _ng­_ – with me lying down?” Shin asked, wanting nothing more but to stop being on top now he’d achieved his goal of getting Beerus off. “B-Beerus?” He half sighed, half moaned when he realised he wasn’t getting an answer.

Actually, this was better. He didn’t have to watch Beerus watching him. In fact, he could quite happily close his eyes and enjoy this attention without the other saying anything distracting at all. Beerus meanwhile was enjoying hearing Shin’s moans echo around the cave he called a bedroom, and feeling the way his thighs trembled as he got closer to the edge.

He waited for some kind of profanity to pass Shin’s lips, but it seemed he hadn’t been teasing him enough for that, instead just the moans just got deeper, and Shin called his name a few times before the kai sat back, breathing heavily.

 “Ew.”

 “What?” Beerus cocked a brow, not having expected that to be the first utterance from Shin.

 “My ass is wet. I wonder why.”

 “Maybe you can make a cloth and I’ll wipe it off you.”

 “Such a waste of my powers.” Shin made a very nice looking towel and handed it to Beerus who cleaned them both up.

 “You good?” Beerus asked, tracing Shin’s jaw.

Shin nodded and curled up to him. “I forgot what a gentle lover you can be.”

 “Don’t let that get out. I like my title of Destroyer to be universal in all my pursuits.”

 “Of course, this is between us. Did I do okay?”

Beerus laughed. “Well, duh, I came didn’t I? You really are a little worrier, aren’t you?”

 “Well, yeah… You’re probably used to better sex.”

 “It’s not a competition.”

 “So, that’s a yes,” Shin said when Beerus didn’t disagree.

 “It’s better than no sex. You just need a bit more practice and I’m sure you’ll get better.”

 “Just don’t leave me hanging like last time. You didn’t even say bye.”

 “Yeah, sorry about that…” Beerus sighed. “Why all the heavy stuff? Let’s talk about something else, like how hot you were when you bit your lip like that.”

 “How about no, I don’t want to think about it.”

 “Oh, but I do.”

Shin rolled his eyes. “I have regrets. Maybe we should go and see if Whis made anything of that fruit.”

Beerus held Shin tighter. “Trying to get away from me already?”

 “I want to be clothed again.”

 “Does the afterglow just not exist for you? Jeez.” Beerus sat up. “Alright, come on, we’re having a bath first though.”

 “Fine by me.”

Beerus picked up a fresh pair of trousers before walking out into the hallway with them slung over his shoulder, Shin walking quietly behind him, trying to tie his sash around his waist as he went.

 “No one’s around,” Beerus said.

 “I don’t care.”

 “You don’t even have a dick to hide.”

 “I want to hide my ass too.”

 “I promise I wiped all the cum off,” Beerus said.

 “You just don’t get it because you walk around with your ass half-hanging out all the time.”

Beerus exhaled sharply. “That’s a roast and a half. Sorry if my having a tail offends you. I need that freedom of movement. _Anyway._ ” He pushed the door open and steam poured out of the sauna-like room. “Say, can I fuck you in here sometime?”

Shin looked up at him. “You really do amaze me sometimes. One day you can’t even ask for what you want, the next you can’t wait.”

 “Not _now_. Just trying to gauge how much you’d be into something like that.”

 “Hmm… I think it could be quite nice.”

 

The pair walked into the dining area fresh from their bath and fully clothed once more. Whis smiled at their arrival, a cake set before him.

 “Ah, Whis, you’re done already?” Beerus asked as he peered at the cake.

 “Naturally. I wanted to do more, but I ran out of fruit to use.” Whis reached for a knife and began to cut the cake. “This is a drizzle cake – taking inspiration from the lemon drizzle, another bitter fruit that works perfectly in cake form. You never said what this is called, so I couldn’t think of a snazzy name to go with it.”

 “Yeah, Shin, name your damn fruit.”

 “Umm… Shi…Shibui.”

 “Shibui drizzle cake, done,” Beerus said as he held out a hand and received a plate of cake from Whis.

The three of them tasted in silence.

 “I don’t know…” Beerus said as he stared out the cake on the end of his fork. “Either there wasn’t enough fruit to work with, or the flavour of the fruit itself isn’t strong enough to work in a cake.”

 “Sorry it’s not to your liking, my lord.”

 “The cake’s fantastic, as usual, but I’m not getting the fruit in it. Shin, you should bring more next time so Whis can have a play. He loves this kind of thing – a good old challenge that’s not so easily solved.”

Whis smiled and agreed. He would take great pleasure in bending the fruit to his will and getting Beerus’s approval.

Shin caught sight of a familiar book lying on a cabinet by the door to the kitchen. “I noticed you destroyed a planet recently.”

 “Oh, you did? And you still didn’t remember to swing past and say hello.”

 “So it _was_ to get my attention?” Shin smirked. “But it is your job, so it’s not for me to interfere. Besides, I was deep in fruit tasting when I noticed and was not leaving empty-handed. Still, were you really so lost without me?”

Beerus pouted, not answering.

 “What you have to understand about Lord Beerus,” Whis said, “is that once he becomes fixated on something he finds it hard to focus on anything else. And at the moment his whole world seems to revolve around _you_.”

 “It’s not like that,” Beerus refuted. “I just like to spend time on one thing at a time. That way I can save other things for later on when I’m bored.”

 “You could just agree with Whis for once,” Shin said.

 “Pfft. _For once_. As if we don’t agree more often than not.”

 “Well, you don’t usually agree when Whis is pointing out your character flaws.”

Beerus frowned. “That’s because I don’t believe I have any flaws. I’m a perfect god, having taken millions of years to reach this perfect version of me.”

Shin stared at him, cocked a brow, and then burst out laughing.

 “What’s so funny?!”

 “I don’t know if you mean that as a joke or if you actually believe your own bullshit!”

Shin continued to laugh, and part of Beerus was offended that Shin didn’t agree, but another part was warmed by the fact that this once shy and fearful kai of his was now at ease enough to sit there and laugh at him to his face like this. He couldn’t help but crack a smile too at the situation.

They ended up snuggling in front of the aquarium; Beerus listened to Shin talk about the life he’d found in his planet’s waters, and what he hoped it would evolve into.

 “Hey, are you falling asleep?”

 “Hm? No, just resting my eyes,” Beerus lied.

Shin tried to get up, but Beerus pulled him back, not willing to give up his heater.

 “Don’t go.”

 “I’ve barely been home since I returned. Kibito will be wondering why I’ve spent more time here than there.”

 “You mean he hasn’t already been asking that?”

 “A few hours a week doesn’t go amiss.”

Beerus cocked a brow. “You mean he doesn’t know you come here as often as you do?”

 “Of course he does.” Shin finally pulled himself free of Beerus. “But I was home for less than an hour before coming here to give you the fruit as fresh as it could be.”

 “I’m flattered.”

 “I’ll be back before you know it. I’m not disappearing for weeks on end again, I promise.” He leant down a placed a kiss on Beerus’s forehead. “Goodbye and sleep well.”

Beerus gave him a smile as he vanished. Yes, he would sleep well knowing the kai was back on the map. “Oh, Whis~”

 “Yes, my lord?”

 “Thank you for the cake.”

The slight rise in Whis’s eyebrows gave away his surprise. “It was nothing. Certainly not my best work.”

 “I really want to sleep like Shin said, but I owe you a little something. I’m pretty sure I promised you a massage right before he arrived.”

Whis smiled. “You remembered!” He held out his hand to materialise his staff which he waved to leave himself in nothing but maroon trousers.

 “As if I’d forget a promise like that.” He dragged a couple of beanbags into a line and got Whis to lie down. “How’s that? Or would a bed be better?”

Whis shuffled around and moulded the beanbags until he was comfortable. “This will do. I enjoy watching the fish as much as you two.”

Beerus straddled his hips and began to knead Whis’s back with practised ease. He knew exactly how to go about it to get the most pleasured sighs from Whis.

 “So, how’s it going with your other half?”

 “Good.”

 “Can I expect more washing in the future?”

 “Ah, sorry about that. But yeah, I think we’re just getting started. Maybe one day I’ll get him to swallow…”


	11. World Martial Arts Tournament

 “ _Fuck me._ ”

 “Again?” Shin asked, as he rested against Beerus’s chest.

 “Don’t you feel it?”

 “Hm?” Shin slipped his hand under the covers.

 “Not that.” Beerus poked the side of Shin’s head as he sighed. “The saiyans are here.” He pulled himself out of bed and grabbed some fresh clothes along with all his gold accessories. “I’m going for a quick wash. You can run off if you don’t want to see them.”

Shin picked up his neat pile of clothes and flew out after Beerus. “You know Goku will already know I’m here. It’d be rude and suspicious if I were to suddenly leave.”

 “I really hate that guy sometimes.”

 

Beerus and Shin flew down to meet them before long.

 “Oi, Whis, what’s all this about?” Beerus asked. They had an understanding that Whis wouldn’t bring the saiyans here without warning if he knew Shin was round for the day. It had almost been an awkward time today.

 “My apologies, my lord, but they have something to invite you to that I think would be of great interest. Something that Supreme Kai himself has attended before.”

 “ _Oh?_ ” That piqued his interest. “What’s that then?”

Whis stepped aside and motioned to the saiyans who were whispering about something that Shin was trying very hard to maintain a straight face over, not that Beerus noticed.

 “Oi, you two, tell me why you’ve come to disturb me today.”

Goku beamed. “They’re having another World Martials Arts Tournament!”

 “A tournament, eh?” Beerus found it difficult to conceal his joy. It certainly had been a while since the Tournament of Power came to an end. “What’s this one about? I don’t think I want to be gambling our very existence again.”

 “Nothing serious like that – it’s just a bit of fun!”

Vegeta huffed. “It won’t be much fun with the rules they’ve imposed this year.”

Goku waved him off. “After last time… Well we caused a lot of damage – but we’re very entertaining to watch, so instead of banning us from entering, they’ve asked that we don’t transform or use any ki blasts.”

 “Seems a bit boring if you ask me,” Beerus said.

 “Told you, Kakarot. Sorry for wasting your time.”

 “Actually,” Shin spoke up, “I think that’s fair. The tournament is for Earthlings and none of them would stand a chance against anyone in our Universe 7 team if they didn’t handicap you somehow.”

 “Oh, yeah!” Beerus just remembered what Whis had said. “What’s all this about inviting the Supreme Kai to the last tournament and not me?!”

 “ _We_ didn’t invite him,” Vegeta said. “He came of his own accord.”

 “Yeah, he didn’t even tell us who he was at first. But we’re inviting you both now! It should be a lot of fun.”

Beerus hummed. “Will there be food?”

 “Of course. And we’ll have a party before – and after! Right, Vegeta?”

 “Bulma won’t say no.”

 “Nice! So, will you come, Lord Beerus? Supreme Kai?”

 “Wait.” Beerus looked down at Shin. “Didn’t you enter this tournament? I remember something about it in your story about Buu.”

 “Yes.”

 “Then I want to enter too.”

Vegeta’s face dropped while Goku’s smile widened further. They both yelled ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in unison. Instead of appealing to Beerus directly, Vegeta began to argue with Goku, while Shin questioned if it was a good idea and Beerus said it was only fair that he got to enter too.

 “Whis, what do you think?” They all seemed to ask at once.

He brought his staff close to his face and peered into the orb at the top, quickly absorbing information about the tournament, paying special attention to the previous one. “My, my. I would say that none of you should be allowed to enter. It looks like this should be left to the Earthlings - the ones from Earth, not saiyans or gods who watch over them.”

 “What?! But – but – that’s not fair!” Goku frowned. “I’m an Earthling!”

 “I suppose I could make an exception to people who have called Earth home for a long period of time such as yourself and Vegeta. But I certainly would not condone the two gods at the top of the hierarchy entering.”

 “But Shin already did!”

 “If you watch the tournament, you’ll find he did not fight, nor was his intention to win. You’d probably throw a fit if you didn’t win.”

Beerus’s mouth dropped open, not expecting to be roasted quite like that in front of the others. His expression hardened and he composed himself. “I would not. That would not be befitting of my status. In fact, I would intentionally lose to make sure Earth had a champion present on-planet that they could look to. That’s what that Mr. Satan guy’s all about, right?”

 “Of course, my lord. I still think we should leave it to the residents of Earth.”

Beerus huffed. “Fine. I mean, I can’t stuff my face if I’m too busy fighting. When is it?”

 “This Saturday!”

 “Six days from now,” Whis translated.

 “You coming?” He turned to Shin.

 “Why not? It should be fun to see it run properly.”

Beerus smiled. “Alright then. Come on, Whis, show us the time Shin first met this bunch of misfits, and his match.”

 “Please don’t.”

Whis tapped his staff to the ground and the scenes played before their eyes.

 “Would you look at that shit-eating grin!” Beerus laughed. “What kind of smug and confident bastard am I watching here? Whis, are you sure you got the right timeline? This isn’t the kai I know.”

 “Shut up.” Shin elbowed him.

 “Why can’t you be more like this in –“ Beerus caught himself just in time. “- in general.” He looked down to see Shin staring at him, shaking his head very slightly. “But yeah, alright, I see your point about not fighting. I’ll be there, and I want front-row seats.”

 “Better turn up early then! Who d’you think will win, Lord Beerus?” Goku asked.

 “I’ll turn up when I want, and I’ll get the seat I want. As for who’ll win…” Beerus wondered if anyone _could_ beat Goku. “I reckon Vegeta.”

 “What?! Really?!” Goku looked round at his friend before turning back to Beerus. “Have you been giving him some secret training while I wasn’t looking? How much has he improved? Vegeta, why didn’t you tell me?”

 “Oh no, I don’t think he’ll beat you with strength alone. I bet you’ll be the fool who breaks one of the rules first!” Beerus laughed, not that he actually believed it, but it was good to get Goku riled up and ready for the tournament.

 

**ooo**

 

Beerus pushed his way through the stands. “Oi, I said, MOVE!” All the way to the very front row. “That’s my seat.”

 “Hey, we got here first!”

Beerus picked the unfortunate spectator up by the scruff of the neck. “Thank you for your cooperation.” He dumped the man on the stairs of the aisle, his friends evacuating too, leaving enough seats, and one to spare. “How convenient.”

 “Hey, isn’t that that Shin guy who forced his opponent to forfeit with just a look?” one said as he passed.

 “Yeah, man, better not mess with them.”

Beerus sat down and put his feet up on the barrier. “You’re famous, it seems.”

Shin frowned. “I was hoping not to be recognised, but I guess that part of the Buu crisis wasn’t wiped from their memories.”

 “Look, they’re just about to announce the draw!” Kibito pointed to the board that was being dragged out.

 “Actually, I’d like to bet against you,” Shin said as he looked at the names. “I think 18 will do well.”

 “You can’t seriously believe she’ll beat either of the saiyans.”

 “No, but I believe the saiyans could throw in the towel early to not draw attention to themselves. Or Mr. Satan could have bought them off. Goku’s family are in need of the money, and it’s not like he needs the title after the glory he’s won in the wider universe. Vegeta likely won’t continue once Goku’s out.”

Beerus cocked a brow. “Since when did you have so much information about this?”

 “While you were stuffing your face last night I was chatting with Gohan. He’s married to Mr. Satan’s daughter, so he has all the inside gossip.”

 “So, you see your crush again and you talk about this tournament of all things?”

Shin sighed. “Don’t talk so loudly. But of course we discussed this, seeing as it’s why we’re all here. He’s not participating though, saying something about not wanting to stand out and be noticed now he has a job.”

 “Boring.”

 “And he promised me that what we let happen to him last time has nothing to do with his decision.”

 “Well, considering we put him through an existence-threatening tournament not too long ago, I doubt he’s lying. This will be child’s play to our team members.”

 “Let’s try and spot him in the crowd while we wait.” Beerus peered around, already bored of waiting for it to begin.

Shin pointed over to the main building where the fighters were housed. “Up there, see?”

Sure enough, Beerus could see people on the upper floor. “What’s that all about? They get a special place to sit while I’m out here with the rabble?” He made to get up, but Shin pulled him down.

 “You told Goku you wanted front row seats, so he probably didn’t offer.”

 “Well I didn’t know there was something better. Let’s go.” Beerus got up and flew straight across the arena to the balcony Shin had pointed out.

Shin sat there with his head in his hands. “He doesn’t know what ‘discreet’ means, does he?” He took Kibito’s hand, and offered the other to Whis, before instantly teleporting them to the balcony.

 “Let’s see…” Beerus looked around at who was sat up here. “So, most of the Universe 7 team are entering, are they?”

 “Oh, no,” Gohan said. “Most of them are in the stands. Like you were until a few moments ago…”

Beerus turned round and looked out again. “Where? Why aren’t they up here?”

 “Master Roshi likes to be in the stands…in the hopes he’ll sit next to a young lady. So Krillin, Tien, and the others sit with him. Who else?” He looked over to Piccolo.

 “Obviously Frieza isn’t here. And 17 isn’t sociable enough to turn up,” Piccolo added.

 “Why aren’t _you_ entering?” Beerus asked.

 “It’s an empty title with a prize I don’t need. I’d rather just watch than have my ass handed to me by one of the saiyans in the later stages.”

Beerus nodded and took a seat, having noticed that the announcer had stepped up, ready to begin.

 “I bet he’s glad we’re not entering,” Gohan said.

 “I’m sure he’s already sweating over the fact your dad’s up first,” Videl whispered.

Goku’s match was over quickly, the saiyan rushing over to his opponent and apologising profusely for the deciding hit. He hadn’t meant to hit _that_ hard.

As expected, their three team members advanced until Goku came up against 18. Suddenly Beerus was interested once more, having been a bit bored by the whole thing. None of the other contestants could show him anything new and exciting; he was more interested in the food service he was getting by being up here. Having almost eaten his way to sleep, he lifted his head out of Shin’s lap when he heard Goku’s name called.

Oh, it was a good show, alright. They made it look very convincing to the untrained eye. The crowd were roaring with delight watching them exchange blows. For a moment Beerus himself wondered if maybe 18 could actually beat an untransformed Goku, but then he looked closer and saw the small opportunities Goku was giving away. Still, he wasn’t interested in playing the part of the outright defeated. Instead he let himself be pushed too close to the edge of the ring, and when he flipped out of the way of a kick he landed on the grass; a ring out.

Beerus huffed and turned to Shin. “Fine. You were right. God, why’d he even invite me if this was going to be the outcome?”

 “Maybe he was hoping for some real competition, but none turned up?”

 “Erm, what does that make Vegeta?”

 “Someone too dangerous to fight with in an arena this small,” Whis said as he watched Goku wave at the crowd and take his leave. “Think of the damage they do back home. Goku would never endanger the crowd like that.”

 “But they weren’t going to transform!” Beerus really wanted his Goku and Vegeta fight he’d been looking forward too.

 “I’m not sure we could count on Vegeta to stick to that. Plus, I bet those two could go all day if they’re not burning through the energy it takes to maintain super saiyan blue.”

Beerus sighed and lay back down on Shin. “Wake me up when Vegeta versus 18.”

 “You’ll just have to ask for a private match, my lord.”

 “Maybe I will.”

Vegeta ended up disappearing before his next match, and Goku complained that he should have at least put on a show for the audience.

 “Well, maybe _you_ should have gone all the way!” Beerus had his feet resting on Goku’s lap as if that was some kind of punishment.

 “I thought I did alright, it was believable, right, guys?”

Everyone barring Beerus and Whis agreed, with Piccolo and Gohan pointing out a few flaws in the way he obviously left himself open a few times.

 “Besides, now I’ll be able to train at yours more often because Chi-Chi will be off my back!”

 “But you didn’t win!”

Goku smiled sheepishly. “When 18 wins…or if she loses to Hercule as planned, she’ll give me half the prize money.”

 “A smart move, but please tell me you only lost because of that.”

Goku shrugged. “I had to lose then otherwise I would have faced Vegeta in the semi-final. Shame the draw had to end my fun so soon.”

 “You’re such a goddamn goody-two-shoes sometimes. Where’s your asshole friend?”

Goku shrugged. “Probably gone home already.”

 “Fine. I’m going too.”

 “Don’t you wanna watch 18 fight Hercule?”

 “Only if you can promise me I’ll get to watch her beat the shit out of him.” Beerus looked at Goku who scratched his head. “This whole trip was a waste of time – well, apart from the food.”

 

**ooo**

 

Goku and Vegeta exchanged blows in super saiyan blue form while Beerus watched on from a sun lounger he’d ‘borrowed’ from Bulma, Shin laying on top of him.

 “Vegeta knows about us,” Shin said as he watched Vegeta land a blow.

 “Does he?”

 “I forgot to mention it, but they were debating it the other day. Vegeta has clearly forgotten that I can read minds, not that I needed to at that distance.”

 “Goku doesn’t believe him then?”

 “Of course not. We’d have to be a bit more obvious.”

Beerus wrapped his arms around Shin. “Isn’t this obvious enough?” Above them, Goku managed to get behind Vegeta and send him flying.

 “So you don’t mind if they know?”

 “It’s annoying to have them here when you’re here and have to restrict myself. So no, I’ve given up caring. They’re only mortals, after all.”

 “I have a feeling they’ll be around longer than you think.”

 “Maybe so. Do you think if I kiss you now they’ll notice? It might distract Vegeta and let Goku win.”

 “Are you bored of the fight already?” Shin asked.

 “Not at all. We’ve still got a way to go before a winner is decided though. I just thought it would be fun.”

 “Who’ll win?”

They watched as punches were thrown and parried.

 “Not sure yet. Whis, what do you think?”

 “Vegeta. Unless he can force Goku into ultra instinct, but I doubt he can. They’re both trying hard to get things reigned in and not destroy the planet.”

Beerus sighed. “Next time I’ll have them fight on some god forsaken rock in the middle of nowhere. I can see it now you’ve said it. Didn’t you tell them it’s fine to go all-out?”

 “Yes, but isn’t it nice that they still have some fears about incurring your wrath?” Whis smiled.

 “I suppose so…”

Vegeta pushed himself to his limits in the fight, but he never managed to force Goku over the edge.

 “Is this all you can show me, Kakarot?!” Vegeta held Goku against the ground. “I know you can go further. Show it to me!”

Goku pushed against the ground, but fell against it once more. “I can’t… I’m trying, Vegeta, honest.”

Vegeta huffed and dragged Goku up by his hair before slamming him back into the ground. “I’ve won then.”

 “This round, buddy.” Goku laid there, not attempting to get up. “But now I know how far you’ve come, I’ll train harder.”

The blue disappeared from Vegeta’s hair and he folded his arms. For some reason he was disappointed with his victory. Finally, he’d beaten Kakarot fair and square, but knowing that he harboured more power made it bittersweet. Until he beat Kakarot in his ultra instinct form he wouldn’t be satisfied.

 “Yo, are you hungry?” Beerus called.

Suddenly Goku was able to move again.

 “Great match,” Beerus said, “but I want to see you guys fight again without holding back.”

 “I’m not fighting Kakarot again until he can reach ultra instinct on command.”

Beerus frowned. “Maybe you can get it out of him when you’re both happy to destroy your surroundings a bit more.”

 “I’ll wait until he can promise me he’ll show me it.”

 “Whis, you better find a way to get that power out of Goku soon!”

Whis waved his staff and a picnic appeared before their eyes. “I’ll do my best, my lord.”

The saiyans began stuffing their mouths as soon as Beerus took his first bite, and Whis found himself having to top up the dishes sooner than expected.

 “I’m gonna miss you two when you’re gone,” Beerus said. “But I won’t miss you eating me out of house and home!”

 “What d’ya mean when we’re gone?” Goku asked, mouth full of bread.

 “When you die, obviously. I was thinking about having a long nap, but realised you’d probably be dead when I wake up.”

 “That’s a bit morbid,” Vegeta said.

 “Merely the truth.”

Goku worked hard to swallow his mouthful. “But I already died like…two times? It’s no big deal. You can just come and see me in Other World!”

 “I’m talking the long game here. You know you will actually die one day and stay dead, right?”

Goku looked confused. “Yeah, but I’ll just live in Other World and annoy King Kai all day long.”

Beerus exchanged a look with Shin. “That’s not how it works… Did you see lots of old people in Other World while you were there?”

 “No?”

 “That’s because when you die of old age your soul will be recycled and you’ll be reincarnated.”

Shin nodded to affirm that Beerus was correct. “You can’t stay in Other World forever. I’d still have all my other kais with me otherwise.”

 “Why’s King Kai still around then?” Goku asked.

 “Because you keep him here,” Shin explained. “We can’t replace him because you’ve vowed to revive him at some point.”

Goku grinned sheepishly. “I’ll get round to it soon! Promise! But why didn’t you just make some kinda vow for your friends too?”

Sadness overcame Shin and he went quiet.

 “Don’t be so insensitive!” Beerus flicked Goku’s forehead. “Clearly it doesn’t work like that at the top of the hierarchy.” Then he whispered, “Personally, I think Grand Zeno had a hand in it.” He sat back and bit into a chicken skewer. “Anyway, knowing you, Goku, they’ll just let you sit around until you get bored of the afterlife. Or maybe one of you will be kept around to replace me.”

 “Oh? Do you have a stash of potentials in Other World?” Vegeta asked.

Whis laughed. “Oh no. I have in the past had one or two, but they always get bored of waiting. I can arrange for you two to have that privilege too.”

 “Really?!” Goku asked.

Whis nodded. “I’d do that for you both, but I doubt either of you would ever get the opportunity to be a God.”

 “I don’t know,” Beerus said. “I bet Vegeta’s stubborn enough to wait.”

The saiyan prince smirked. “You’re damn right.”

 “And I’d love to watch you waste your time. In this universe there is only one being who remembers the God of Destruction before me, in the other universes, only a handful more.”

Goku pointed to Shin.

 “No, you idiot! It’s Whis!”

 “Oh yeah, of course!”

 “Why this Supreme Kai is but a child to me. I’ve seen more than a handful watch over this universe.”

 “So, you never age?” Vegeta asked. “If the Gods are life-linked then you must be able to tell when to link to another one. They must age while you do not.”

 “Well, you’re not wrong,” Beerus said. “But I’ve been fortunate to have 5 Supreme Kais to link to at any one time in the past. It’s never been an issue. Unlike them, I’m quite happy to use the dragon balls for my own gain. Champa and I searched out the Super Dragon Balls not long after we became gods and wished for our eternal youth and immortality.”

Goku hummed. “You don’t look very young.”

 “We look the age we were at the time. I didn’t want to look like a child!”

 “But if you’re immortal…” Goku narrowed his eyes as he worked it out. “Then we’d have to get Zen-chan to erase you like we did with Zamasu if we wanted to defeat you! We’ll never win otherwise!”

Everyone sighed. “You’re so thick sometimes, Kakarot. Obviously Beerus can still be defeated without going to such extremes.”

 “It really explains why he fears Zen-chan so much! And I have that button to call on him!” Goku pulled it out of his pocket and watched the expressions on everyone’s faces fall.

 “Put that thing away!” Vegeta said. “I’m not in the mood to entertain that spoilt brat, and neither is anyone else here.”

 “Aw, come on, Zen-chan’s alright.”

 “If you really want to give Beerus a heart attack you can just grab the Supreme Kai by the throat or something.”

Beerus pulled Shin closer. “That’s enough, you two. I don’t know why you want to get rid of me so badly when I’ve been nothing but nice to you, but I think you should shut up before I ban you from my planet for the rest of your lives.”

 “Ah, sorry, Lord Beerus!” Goku put his hands together to apologise. “But it’s fun to imagine how to defeat the undefeatable.”

 “As Vegeta has pointed out, I’m not undefeatable. But I want to make it as difficult as possible. I like being God of Destruction, and I don’t plan to give it up any time soon. Especially not when it’s taken me millions of years of waiting for Earth to produce food like this.” He picked up the sushi. “This wasn’t around when I was born, you know.”

Both of the saiyans sat there wondering what kind of trouble they’d get into if they tried to run off with Supreme Kai now, neither brave enough to go through with it. Vegeta concluded that he would have his ass handed to him, while Goku was more than up for the fight, but worried the punishment would be too much to handle.

Beerus sent Vegeta home with Whis, who returned with a decent supply of Earth food for him to enjoy while Whis and Goku went elsewhere to train. It wasn’t much fun only having one saiyan around, especially when it was Goku; he needed more entertaining than Vegeta did, and was always full of stupid questions and ideas.

 “If Earth blew up tomorrow, which planet would you go to next for good food?”

 “Are you rivals with that other God of Destruction because he’s like a mouse and you’re like a cat?”

 “Do you think Vegeta in orange would look funny? Should I get him an orange suit for his birthday?”

 “I think you should!” Shin said, smiling at the idea. “Brighten up his world.”

 “Don’t encourage him!” Beerus yelled. “I just want some peace and quiet.”

 “Perhaps you could spend some time away from home?” Whis suggested. “Goku and I are away all day, but clearly you want more than that.”

Beerus huffed. “I’ll starve if I go to the Kai’s world. They just don’t eat like we do. I’d be living off tea!”

 “Well, maybe you can arrange to eat out. The universe is at his fingertips after all.”

 “Shin, will you be my chauffeur and let me stay at yours?” Beerus asked nonchalantly.

 “I can just drop you in the middle of nowhere with no one to bother you if you’d prefer,” he replied.

 “I just need to be around someone who’ll shut up for 5 minutes.”

 “I can do that!” Goku burst out.

 “I make that about 50 seconds,” Whis said. “But please try again.”

Goku sat there, trying not to say anything. Even when they were talking about where Beerus should have Shin take him for food and he wanted to mention all his favourite places on Earth. He wanted to ask what kind of foods were Beerus’s favourites now he’d sampled more of Earth’s offerings. Then he wanted to ask more things – why was Beerus’s planet in the living world, while the World of the Kais was in Other World? Was it weird for Beerus to go to Other World? Did he hang out there? He should really meet Grand Kai! They’d probably get along well! Food in Other World wasn’t worth their time! No, don’t go there! Earth places are better!

 “Goku, are you okay?” Whis asked.

Goku nodded and placed a finger to his lips, aware that Whis could be trying to trick him into uttering something.

 “Well, it’s been 5 minutes.”

 “It has?!”

 “Oh, why’d you tell him, Whis? We could have had more quiet time.”

Goku spilled out all the things he’d been thinking – but mainly the stuff about Other World’s food. Shin looked a bit offended that Goku thought so little of it; he clearly hadn’t been anywhere good.

Naturally Beerus was easily swayed to pick a place on Earth, especially when Whis said he’d been with Bulma. That had sealed the deal – how dare Whis go somewhere, say it was good, and not take him immediately.

 “I did bring you something back,” Whis reminded him.

 “Yeah, well, I want it fresh from the kitchen. Come on, Shin, let’s go.”

Beerus stretched as they arrived on Earth, glad to be free of the tireless saiyan. Instead he was face to face with a different one. “Huh? Vegeta?!”

 “Lord Beerus?! Did he do it already?”

 “What?” Beerus looked around. “Hey, why’d you bring me here?” They were standing on the balcony at Capsule Corp.

 “Whis said it wasn’t far from here, and this is an easy place to suddenly appear in,” Shin said.

 “So Kakarot hasn’t mastered ultra instinct?” Vegeta sounded disappointed.

 “Not yet, we’re here to eat. Without Whis, because he’s always so chummy with your wife, as you know. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Beerus hoped down and began to walk towards the gate out of the complex.

Shin apologised for the intrusion before following behind.


	12. Worship

 “Kibito wouldn’t stop staring me out earlier,” Beerus complained as he laid on the kai’s bed, enjoying the novelty of it. This bed was square, the mattress a different density, the pillows big and fluffy! More than anything he couldn’t stop stroking the silk sheets on top.

 “Please accept an apology from me on his behalf. He isn’t used to me having guests staying like this. I hardly ever invite guests into the temple, let alone let them sleep in it.”

 “I just want to sleep and not have some monkey yelling that it’s time for breakfast and I should get up or I’ll miss it.”

Shin laughed as he hung his robe up. “I’m sad to have missed that. Maybe I should have accepted your offer to stay overnight. Do you really think he’ll be able to master it?”

 “No.” He had thought about this a lot. “Without Jiren pushing him to the limit again, no. And even then, I’m not sure Jiren could without Grand Zeno hanging their existence over their heads.”

 “And you don’t think Whis can get it out of him?”

 “Whis can’t even get it out of _me_. And we’ve been trying for years.”

Shin climbed onto the bed and curled up with Beerus. “Goku’s an amazing guy, you never know.”

 “I hope you’re right. I want to see the ultra instinct fight between Goku and Vegeta more than anyone. Say, Kibito’s not going to burst in here and say this isn’t allowed in the temple, right?” Beerus asked as he wrapped his arms around the kai.

 “No, he doesn’t disturb me when I’m here. He knows if I’m sleeping then I’m quite exhausted, sometimes even ordering me to rest.”

 “I can see that happening. I didn’t think you took orders though.”

 “Well, it’s more like a suggestion, sometimes begging. He watches out for my welfare more than I do.”

 “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Beerus slipped a hand under Shin’s shirt so he could feel the warmth of his skin. “If I were you I’d never want to leave this silky paradise. You should invite me here more often.”

 “Just get yourself some silk sheets?”

 “Maybe I will. Does it come with a kai-sized teddy bear too?”

 “Beerus…” Shin looked up at him, unsure how he wanted to say what he was thinking, but knowing now was the time.

 “Yeah?”

 “I just wanted to check… This is still non-romantic, right?”

 “Er, yeah? Why? Is it not?”

Shin looked relived. “Of course, I just wanted to check. You see, to an outsider we look like quite the couple apparently.”

 “Who’s the outsider? Or are you talking about Vegeta again?”

 “No, I talked to Gohan about other things during our recent visit. He was able to pick up on it just from our interactions.”

Beerus hummed. “I guess it’s hard for someone like him to tell the difference. Because we’re not just friends with benefits, we’re life-long partners with very fresh benefits I’m making full use of right now. Or are you trying to tell me something, Shin?”

 “You’re still not my type, but…” He blushed, not having meant to say ‘but’ at any point.

 “But?”

 “It’s nothing. It’s just that you’re paying me so much care and attention, and making me feel good. I hate that it’s such an attractive thing to me. So, yes, maybe I’m a little in love with that side of things.” He put a hand to his face. “But as long as you’re not reciprocating I can deal with this. I don’t want you to entertain these feelings.”

 “On one hand, I do – just to watch you suffer a little, but on the other I don’t want to lose what we’ve got at the moment. I’m quite enjoying myself. But if you need to hate me again, I can arrange that.”

Shin didn’t like the sound of that, and wondered exactly what kind of thing – or things – Beerus had in mind. “Let’s stay as we are. I just wanted to say don’t fall in love with me. I need you to stay just as you are.”

 “Fine by me.” He ran a hand up Shin’s chest.

 “Not now.”

 “Why not? Would you fall in love with me some more if we did?”

 “I don’t want to defile the temple.”

Beerus peered at him, wondering what that meant. “Since when was that a thing? Apart from the fact this was the first place we ever fucked, I know you had a certain mortal in this bed not too long ago. You could just say you don’t feel like it.”

 “And clearly _that_ was a mistake, because after he was killed and his father came and tore up this planet.”

 “You can’t seriously believe that happened because you had sex in the temple? I mean, even if you didn’t, there was quite a high chance he was still going to die.” Beerus rubbed his temples. “I wasn’t going to push you, but I just might if you actually have such a ridiculous fear. This is _your_ temple. You own it, it’s for _you_. You’re the goddamn god!”

 “I know. I know it’s stupid. But it was the first time I ever brought a mortal back here like that and now I can’t…” Shin put his hands to his head. “I can’t get my mind to separate the two events. Kibito was warning me, saying how unorthodox it was to even have a mortal on the planet for more than a few minutes. And I didn’t heed him. And then he died! I watched him…”

 “Dude, you need to chill out. Gohan’s alive and well now. You didn’t do anything wrong – you did what you thought was right.”

 “Kibito really believes the temple should be a place of purity. He had those thoughts…that maybe I was being punished. _We_ had those thoughts, when we were one. I heard every criticism I never wanted to hear in the following weeks.”

Beerus stroked Shin’s arm softly. “Just because _he_ believes it, doesn’t mean it’s true.” He had to come up with something better than that. He couldn’t just let Shin believe all this was his fault. “If anything, sex is a form of worship, and that should be done in a temple.” Yes, this was sounding good so far, he thought. “And this whole ‘sex is bad’ rhetoric you guys have going on is a right crock of shit and I’ll tell you why – because whoever made your divine body gave you something that’s only purpose is to provide pleasure. There’s literally no other function to that nub of yours. So you should use what some higher god gave you and not be ashamed!” Why, he should be a motivational speaker!

Shin hugged Beerus tightly, not quite sure what to say. Truly he wanted to believe Beerus, but he also thought it was just an elaborate speech to get somewhere tonight. Yet, how could he say such eye-opening things and not be right in some way?

 “Do you really believe that?”

Beerus nodded. “Of course. It was one of the first things I concluded when I first saw your body. I wondered a lot about why divine beings like the kais would have such an organ when the angels didn’t, and I could only assume that gods are meant to be pleasured.”

The surprise was evident in Shin’s face; he hadn’t known that fact. Perhaps he really could believe that Beerus was sharing his true opinion, not just the one Shin needed to hear.

 “This is my temple, and I command you to worship me.”

Beerus’s eyes widened before his face cracked into a huge grin. “With pleasure, O Lord of Lords.” His touches were light as a feather as he began plotting how best to play his part. “I was hoping I’d be able to watch a bit of self-worshipping tonight. Thought being at home might get you relaxed enough for that.”

 “I said _you_ were to worship me.”

 “My once mortal hands are not divine enough to touch you.”

Shin cocked a brow, not sure what kind of roleplaying he’d walked into here. “Beerus?”

 “Yes, my kai?”

 “…Stop being so weird.”

 “Not into that? Well, I was quite serious about you showing me how you touch yourself.” His touches were still really light and he felt Shin shiver as he passed over a sensitive area of his neck. “I want to see you love yourself.”

 “I…I can’t – it’s so embarrassing!”

Beerus groaned. “Every damn time. Always ‘no I can’t’ and ‘it’s embarrassing.’ Never ‘I love that idea!’”

 “I just don’t understand why you’d want to watch…”

 “Because it’d be so fucking _hot_.” He let his nails graze a little harder than before.

Shin was quiet as he thought about whether he should give in to Beerus, his skin tingling as nails ghosted over his back. He wasn’t against the idea, and certainly Beerus was right to assume he would much prefer to do it in the comfort of his own room. But getting started…with Beerus watching… He really wasn’t turned on enough for that right now.

 “If you give me a few minutes…” Shin said. “Alone, that is.”

Beerus failed to conceal his smile, happily getting up and walking towards the door. “I’ll be back.” He stepped out into the corridor. There had been many artefacts, artworks and scriptures they’d passed on the way, so he had more than enough to look at to pass the time. He began to turn left, but on spotting Kibito at the end of the corridor quickly changed direction. He passed several things before deciding to admire a gold lamp encrusted with what he assumed were rubies – the kai’s temple surely wouldn’t house anything less precious.

 “What are you doing?”

Beerus almost jumped, having not realised Kibito was so close. “Just looking at what you’ve got here. I don’t often come inside after all.”

Kibito’s expression remained hard as he watched Beerus’s every move, the God deciding it was best not to attempt picking up the lamp for a closer look. “Why are you out here?” Kibito asked. “Did he kick you out already?”

Beerus was offended, but knew Shin wouldn’t appreciate him telling Kibito the truth. “No, he just wanted some privacy while he changed.”

Kibito narrowed his eyes and peered at Beerus some more before grunting and walking off. “Don’t touch that lamp.”

Beerus sighed and bent down to see it up close, not wanting to enrage the rather scary attendant. He wondered if Whis was this way with guests when he wasn’t around. Having spent enough time on the lamp, he looked up and checked Kibito wasn’t hanging around watching him before slipping back into Shin’s room.

His first thought was to regale his encounter, but the thought was pushed from his mind the moment he laid eyes on his other half. Shin had kept his shirt on, but it was open, baring his chest. He was laying there, legs pulled up as if someone was between them, one hand stroking his nub while the other fondled a nipple.

Beerus closed the door quietly so he didn’t disturb the kai who had his eyes closed. With the lightest footsteps he could muster, he walked around the bed so that he had the best view of exactly how Shin was enjoying himself. The noises he made were so quiet and suppressed that one could have believed he was dreaming.

As soon as Beerus climbed onto the bed Shin’s eyes flew open. “Bored of watching already?”

 “No, but it’s awkward standing there. It’s almost a bit creepy considering I wasn’t sure you heard me come in.”

 “I didn’t need to hear you. I could feel your energy as soon as you came in. I never really paid attention before, but now I’m starting to be able to tell when you want me.” Shin let his legs fall on the bed, spread wide. “Do you like this?” He used two fingers to massage the area between his legs.

 “Oh yes.” Beerus laid along the end of the bed, not getting any closer. “I could watch you all day.” He let a hand drift down to his own aching groin.

 “Hey, stop that. You’re only allowed to watch and suffer.”

He curled his tail around his hand and pretended it was tied behind his back. “How cruel.” Not that he minded, because now Shin was maintaining eye contact with him and even though it made his cock ache all the more, he loved it. He loved the way Shin’s gaze slowly started to lose focus as he became more and more wrapped up in his own pleasure. The slow blinks and how his eyes would roll up when he touched a particularly good spot… Maybe he should have borrowed Whis’s staff to record all this.

Shin’s embarrassment was long forgotten by now. He wanted Beerus to watch. And he wanted him to be itching to touch or be touched. A moan escaped him and he slowly drew his hand away, trailing it up across his stomach and chest.

 “What? No way, that little moan wasn’t you coming,” Beerus said in disbelief, watching as Shin sat up, running a hand through his hair.

Shin grinned and crawled forward so he could place a hand on Beerus’s leg. “Oh no, but I think it’s time for you to be seen to. Surely you’ve figured out I suck dick better when I’m _so close._ ”

He used a finger to tease Beerus through the fabric. “I can’t believe I could get you this excited without a touch.”

 “I told you it’d be hot.”

Shin began to relieve Beerus of his clothing. “Before a god can be worshipped, they must first do something to earn it.” He licked his lips for show before wrapping them around Beerus’s cock, who sighed in relief.

 “God does that feel good.” His hand went straight for Shin’s hair. “Fuck, Shin, what kind of addictive lube have you got this time?”

Shin rolled his eyes before removing his mouth. “No lube. Don’t ask questions because my mouth isn’t coming off again.”

 _Holy shit_ , Beerus thought as he watched Shin take him in again. This was certainly starting to go in the direction he had hoped. Now all he had to do was find a way to get this confidence out of Shin from the get-go.

Deciding it was best not to say anything, lest he say something that Shin had to respond to, Beerus let his moans tell Shin exactly how much he was enjoying every minute of this. He could feel Shin trying to take his whole length in, but he hadn’t yet mastered the ability. After a few attempts he paused for breath and made eye contact as he licked from base to tip. Well, that was one way to make sure he got all of it.

 “This is the best bit, right?” Shin swirled a finger around the tip.

 “I guess, if I had to pick.”

Shin began sucking gently, adding in the occasional tongue swirl, while his hand worked the rest of the shaft.

Beerus moaned, “ _fuck._ ” Was this better than having his whole cock in Shin’s mouth? Or was he too close that gentle teasing like this was driving him insane? _Oh, shit_. Now that Shin had found his rhythm he was laying there looking up at Beerus, and looking utterly irresistible. Beerus had to resist bucking his hips to make Shin go faster. But he didn’t voice his desire, instead subjugating himself to this slow torture and revelling in every moment. His body was on fire, but he didn’t want this to end.

 “Shin…” The fun had to end. His body wasn’t as disciplined as his mind at this moment. “Shin, I’m gonna come.” Yet Shin didn’t move away, still swirling his tongue oh so teasingly. There was no way he hadn’t heard; Shin was looking right at him as he said it. “Oh, fuck.” He realised exactly what that meant and it drove him over the edge, watching as Shin attempted to swallow every drop.

As cum spilled from the corners of his mouth he kept sucking until Beerus was completely spent. Then he sat up and wiped his mouth, licking his fingers clean. “Close enough.”

Beerus lay there in a daze. “Not to be dramatic, but that was possibly one of the best ends to an orgasm I’ve ever had.”

 “Don’t we all feel that way immediately after coming?” Shin asked as he double checked his chin for spills.

 “I’m serious. That was unexpected.”

 “I’m serious about not making any mess. There would be questions.”

Beerus pulled Shin onto his chest. “Do you really believe Kibito’s not listening?” Because Beerus had no doubt that Shin’s attendant was as nosey as his own.

 “I trust he wouldn’t.”

 “Believe what you will. Now,” Beerus ran a hand down Shin’s back. “I am a convert and need to pay my respects.” He scooped Shin up and set him down against the pillows before kissing him. “Please accept this offering.” He trailed his kisses down his neck and chest, kissing the soft flesh of his stomach before reaching his destination. Beerus settled between Shin’s thighs, kissing the tender inner skin of each before running his tongue up between Shin’s folds.

Shin was a moaning mess as Beerus used his mouth to stimulate his nub. He hadn’t thought he’d get so lucky, but it was evident Shin really believed no one was listening. Beerus wondered if he’d given them instructions beforehand. He worked hard to keep Shin moaning and moving, not letting up as Shin had done for him. The kai was gripping the sheets and arching his back, begging Beerus to touch him more. After teasing himself so much and stopping just short of the finish line, he was finding it so hard to let his body find release now he was allowing it to.

Beerus let a hand roam, caressing a thigh, a hip, going up to brush a nipple and then the other. His touches were just what Shin needed as he finally felt his body start to relax and give in to pleasure.

 “Harder…” Shin pleaded. God he knew Beerus could really give it to him if he wanted. His body was so hot and he could feel the sweat on his skin, everything uncomfortably warm at this moment.

Shin’s back arched and his toes curled as Beerus switched to using a finger to press against Shin. A long moan followed and Shin slowly sunk back into the bed, panting as if he’d been sparring. Beerus continued to stroke him, slower and slower until he stopped completely.

 “Are you satisfied with me, O Lord of Lords?”

Shin nodded, a smile on his lips. “Not to be as dramatic as you, but I think I have to agree about that being the best climax.”

 “For now,” Beerus said as he came to lay beside Shin. “I’ve barely begun learning all the right places and ways to touch you. This night will be eclipsed before you know it.”

 “Oh? But you still want to stand by your claim from earlier?”

Beerus nodded. “Oh yes. I won’t ever be forgetting the first time you swallowed all I had to offer.”

 

**ooo**

 

 “You look like shit,” Beerus said. “I take it you didn’t get anywhere?”

 “No,” Whis sighed. “I can’t create the right conditions. Goku can’t see me as the threat he needs me to be. I’d kill him before he found the trigger.”

 “Kill him then,” Beerus said. “We’ll just bring him back.”

 “That’s a gross breach of the rules.”

 “But it can be done.”

Whis looked over to Shin, who was enjoying some tea. “Sir, surely you have an opinion on this?”

Shin looked between the two, and then over to Goku. “Somehow I doubt anyone would care at this point if Goku was revived _again_.”

 “You’re not meant to agree!” Whis wondered if perhaps the pair had been hanging out too much.

 “Grand Zeno wouldn’t want his friend dead, so Goku’s revival wouldn’t bother _him_. Although…” Shin sipped his tea and looked at them again. “He would probably ask _why_ Goku died again.”

Beerus stopped smiling and turned back to Whis. “Nope, you keep that guy alive and breathing. I’m not having some kind of inquiry from up top.”

 “Maybe you could ask permission and explain why?” Whis suggested.

 “Nah, I ain’t going anywhere near that guy if I don’t need to. Vegeta will just have to get that form out of Goku himself.”

 “My lord, _you_ could try.”

Beerus lowered his voice so Goku couldn’t hear. “No, because I don’t want to face _that_.”

Whis replied in a mirrored tone. “But maybe if he hits ultra instinct, it’ll bring it out in you _too_.”

 “I’ll pass. Hey, Shin, would you ferry Goku home? It’s a round trip for Whis.”

Shin nodded and walked over to Goku, talking with him briefly before they disappeared.

 “Come, I’ll do a little something for you.” Beerus scooped Whis up in his arms and flew up to the dining room.

Shin returned to the odd sight of Whis on the chaise lounge, Beerus on top of him as he worked his back, occasionally feeding him a chocolate.

 “So this is what you get up to when I’m not here?” Shin asked as he took a seat in the chair Whis usually occupied.

 “I made poor Whis go and train that dense saiyan off-planet all week, and even then he couldn’t get the result I wanted. I don’t blame him though. Still, look at him, he’s tired for once, and I need to thank him for putting in all that effort.”

Shin watched as Beerus kneaded Whis’s back well enough to make the angel moan. He never did anything like this for Kibito… Maybe he should? Why, the most he did was make Kibito tea now and again.

 “Are you jealous?” Beerus asked.

 “No, just thinking about my own attendant.”

 “Whis lives the good life, right, darling?”

 “Oh yes, when you’re willing to give it, honey.”

They both laughed while Shin watched on in surprise.

 “I told you, you just have to ask,” Beerus said.

 “Doesn’t work when you’re asleep.”

 “Yeah, but when I’m asleep you don’t have much work to do. Here, have a strawberry one.”

Whis opened his mouth and Beerus placed the chocolate on his tongue. Shin felt like he was intruding on a very intimate scene, wondering if he should leave. Beerus leant down and placed a kiss between Whis’s shoulder blades.

 “That’s all for now, dear Whis. Rest well, I’ll be back once I’ve seen to Shin.”

 “You didn’t have to stop –“

Beerus shook his head. “You looked a bit lost. Whis knows how to spend time without me, he’ll be fine.” He headed out to the balcony, leaning on the bannister and looking out. “Do you think I should take a trip to Universe 11 and see if I can get Jiren to fight Goku again?”

 “No, I don’t think we should do any universe hopping. Except for Universe 6, because he’s your brother.”

 “Fine. I thought you could go and gloat about our win over that asshole Supreme Kai.”

 “I’ll stay here, you can take Goku _there_ and make a mess of their universe, not ours.”

 “Good idea. Maybe I will.”

 “Lord, please don’t. I think we, as a universe, have drawn enough attention to ourselves recently. I have enough anxiety over the fact Goku even owns a button that summons Grand Zeno. I don’t need you taking him elsewhere and waiting for repercussions.”

 “You’ve been better recently,” Beerus said as he looked round. “Much more chilled out.”

 “We’re in peace times once more. Although while you never want Goku to die, I can’t wait to have him out of the way. After Buu was defeated I felt a weight lifted, but that was also the day I met Goku and he has slowly been replacing that weight.”

 “I’m not destroying him. He may cause me some anxiety too, but the guy’s brought me so much amusement. It’d be a shame to lose him.”

 “I wasn’t trying to imply…” Shin rested against the bannister next to Beerus. “How would you make me hate you?”

 “You’ve been itching to ask, haven’t you?” Beerus smirked at the kai who was busy looking elsewhere. “Not too long ago I had you telling me to fuck off the moment I landed on your world. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to get to that stage again.”

 “But so much has happened since then.”

 “Look, I know I treat you like a fragile doll or something at the moment, but if you needed me to kick you into the ground and pin you there until you forgot all your feelings about me, I could do it. I could be the asshole you need me to be if you asked.” He took Shin’s hand to get his attention. “Are you trying to ask me for that?”

 “No, I was just curious. I wonder if it would work.”

 “You have a low pain tolerance. It wouldn’t take long. But if it didn’t I’d be begging you to have some kind of hate sex with me while you called me out for being such an asshole. Even better if you’re crying during the whole thing.”

Shin narrowed his eyes, then cocked a brow as he listened. “You’re so weird sometimes. I don’t even want to know why you want any of that to happen.”

 “I just really want to see you cry. But not over some wiggly shit. I want someone to hurt you, and then I go and destroy them. That way I get to see you being cute, _and_ I get to destroy something.”

 “Why would I be cute if I’m crying?”

 “Trust me, you would be.”

 “You know, I think I can find the distance I need to put between us just by talking about your strange fantasies from time to time. This has been an excellent reminder why I’m sure I can’t ever be truly romantically attached to you.”

 “Same here. I couldn’t stand to live out my days with a soft sap like you.”

They caught each other’s glances and burst into laughter, glad to break the tension.

 “I’m not a sap.”

 “Sure, and my fantasies aren’t strange.”

 “Well, not the bit about someone calling you an asshole. That’s just normal.”

 “Hey!” He reached over and mussed Shin’s hair.

 “I’m not complaining. It would be strange if you stopped being so insufferable one day.”

 “…Insufferable?” Beerus mused.

Shin shuffled closer until their arms touched. “Come on, tell me what you’re thinking. I can see it in your eyes.”

 “I’ll need to work on not looking so obvious.”

 “I told you, I get better at reading people the more I know them.”

Beerus patted the bannister. “It’s wide enough for you to sit on. And it’d make you the perfect height.”

Shin hopped up and used his legs to pull Beerus closer. “You’re right. I like this – I’m almost your height.”


	13. Shin

Beerus kept his eyes shut tight as he let Shin lead him. Beneath his feet the ground was soft, and he could feel what he assumed were flowers brushing against his legs. The air was pleasantly warm and fresh; he could tell he was surrounded by nature, not a man-made structure for miles. He wondered where Shin had taken him, but he knew it would be beautiful from what his senses were telling him. The only sounds were their footsteps, not a gust of wind gave away what else might be around them, nor were there sounds of any creature.

 “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

It was dark, but not completely. Beerus looked down to see he was stood in a field of flowers, many of them glowing in the moonlight. Three moons to be exact. He bent down and inspected the petals; they really were giving off the tiniest amount of light. Shin sat down next to him.

 “Hey! You’re trampling them!”

Shin smiled. “Thanks for caring, but they’ll be fine. Come, sit with me.”

Beerus continued to squat. He wanted to take some of these back with him and plant a few in his garden.

Shin gave him a shove, and having not expected it to have so much force, Beerus toppled backwards. “We’re going to lay in the flowers.”

 “Are we?”

 “Yes, I want you to look up with me.”

He felt like he was lying on a bed rather than the ground because the flowers were so cushioning. Next to him Shin’s face was illuminated by their light. The kai pointed up and Beerus looked. The three moons were all in different phases, and the stars between them were countless. Had he ever visited a planet where the sky was clear enough to see so many stars twinkling at night? He tried to work out where they were, but star gazing had always been Whis’s thing, not that he was able to pick out any major ones with so many up there.

 “What do you think?” Shin whispered.

 “I think this is possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”

 “Thank you.”

He refrained from asking his burning question because he believed he already knew the answer, instead confirming indirectly. “Does it have a name?”

 “Does what have a name?”

 “This planet. It’s yours, isn’t it?”

 “Yes, I’ve named it after myself.”

 “I want some of these planet Shin flowers. Do they have names too?”

Shin picked one and handed it to Beerus. “I call them glose.”

Beerus brought it to his nose to see if it had a particular smell, but it didn’t. “How come you brought me here? To your planet you were so secretive about not so long ago.”

 “After our recent discussions I was thinking about the fact that one day I’ll be dead too, and well, you’ll probably still be around. So I wanted to show you this place in the hope that when I’m gone, you’ll still protect it and won’t destroy it so my legacy lives on.”

That hit Beerus in the heart. “You’re still young, so don’t think too hard about that yet.”

 “Still, I wanted to share it with you. It’s such a beautiful sight this time of year, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”

 “Planning to get rid of me by this time next year?”

 “Oh no, but you’ll surely be bored of me by then,” Shin half-joked. He wondered how long it would last, wondering if the fact Beerus was awake more than usual would expedite their affair.

 “I’ll get bored of having you in my bed, sure. I always do. But I won’t get bored of you. We’re friends now – buddies who can just hang out and not ignore each other until the next coordination meeting. We’re definitely giving Champa and Fuwa a run for their money.”

 “Oh yes, I think we’ve won that competition,” Shin said as he thought back to the last time they’d all been together. It was clear that Fuwa and Champa actually liked each other and had fun, whereas Beerus and Shin barely knew what to say to one another.

 “Let’s not challenge them,” Beerus said quickly. “I’d rather not find out how well they know each other… But I think we can say that we’ve finally achieved our goal of looking like a harmonious pair.”

Shin took his hand and kissed it. “Yes, we have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s all, folks! Honestly I didn’t really have an end-point because I didn’t want to have to break their relationship, so it’ll just fade out like this and we can all imagine how long they spent in harmony until Beerus fucked it up again. Thanks for reading! I had a blast writing this over the past 2 months, even if the notes I wrote along the way said otherwise haha.


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